A Girl Named Hermione Granger: Year Two
by blu-babe
Summary: Hermione Granger is not your typical child, even without her magic. She's spending her first summer home from school with her secret biological father, has been attacked, and her upcoming school year is going to make Summer look easy. rated for language
1. A Parks Night Life

A girl named Hermione Granger: Year Two

Chapter One: A park's night life

Dislcaimer: Yep.

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><p>Hermione Jean Kathrine Granger was not the most patient girl, though she had learned to keep her temper in check when she had been living in a house crowded with three brothers and at one point, two sisters. However, she was still only eleven, and perfectly allowed to be upset when things took too long, or so she felt. As it was currently one week into summer vacation, she found herself reasonably upset that her house mate, Harry James Potter, had yet to write back to her. She was giving up on hearing from him, after receiving an owl from Ronald Billius Weasley, another house mate from school, saying that even <em>he<em> had not heard a thing. And if Harry's _best_ friend was being ignored, what chance did _she_ stand.

She had, in turn, spent most of the last week sulking in her makeshift bedroom. When her father had told her she would be coming to stay with him, she had hoped he at least had a guest room to his house, which she could convert to her own. Instead, Severus Snape had merely transfigured an old chair into a small cot, and set her up in a room which was being used to store different potions he had brewed. She supposed it wasn't all bad, despite the dusty jars and cobwebs. Her father lived smack dab in the middle of Spinners End, a muggle neighborhood. As there was no serious threat of anyone from the wizarding world showing up here, without having first announced themselves, she was allowed outside to play with the muggle children.

She was currently hanging upside down off the side of her bed, staring at a spider as it slowly crawled up the shelves opposite of her. She had attempted to go outside two days prior, and make some friends, but none of the other children had been willing to play with her once they heard which house was hers. Mainly because not a single one of them knew that number 14, Spinner's End was being occupied. They had all told her not to lie, because that house had been abandoned years ago and was of terrible disrepair. She had stomped home after inadvertently blowing up the football the other children had been playing with, and told her father of the incident. He then chose to tell her that muggles didn't know of his house.

Ever since then, she had occupied herself inside of her own room, and had already finished all of her summer homework, and written up copies for both Harry and Ron as well. She had a sneaking suspicion that neither boy would have finished their homework by the start of term. Keeping her dark brown eyes locked firmly on the spider, she reached under her bed and retrieved her sketch pad and quill. She sketched out his shape and size, never removing her gaze, until she felt the drawing was probably finished. She allowed herself a quick glance at her drawing and fell off her bed with a shriek. It would have been good, had it not been for the dripping ink.

Within moments her 'bedroom' door opened with a bang, and her father was poised with his wand at the ready. As he noted her position, and her ruined drawing, he raised an eyebrow in question. Hermione sniffed and rolled herself until she was sitting upright, rubbing the back of her head with her hand. "Don't look at me like that. I fell off the bed, it's not a crime." She mumbled, refusing to meet his eye.

Severus Snape sighed. He was painfully aware of his daughter's growing boredom and anxiety, but he was at a loss for any ideas to fix the situation. He couldn't very well let her floo over to her 'friends' homes for the day, as they all thought she had returned to the muggle's home, except for Draco. And he couldn't send her to the Malfoy's because Lucius had no idea she was his daughter, and he couldn't trust the vile blonde man with such delicate information. He'd sent off a request for Draco to come stay for the weekend, but was told that the boy was undergoing heavy training in Quidditch, and until he caught a snitch, he wasn't allowed to leave the manor.

"Why don't you go down town and see a film?" He was hesitant to suggest such a thing, but he had little else to choose from. Hermione stood up and dusted herself off, "I can't see any of the good movies on my own. Why can't I ring Julie and invite her?" She missed her older sister dearly, and hated that she couldn't go visit for tea like she'd used to. Severus refrained from releasing another sigh and shook his head, "It is not a good idea. She, and your whole family, need to remain in hiding. If Danny had just understood that, he would still be safe at-" He stopped speaking as he saw the tears brimming her eyes. He cursed his own tactlessness, and conjured a handkerchief, "I apologize, but it is true. If you were to be seen with them now, it would throw you all in harms way." He handed her the cloth, and ducked out of the room quickly.

Hermione watched her father slink away and twisted the handkerchief in her hands. She had desperately been waiting for news on her missing brother since he had vanished, one month prior. She had sent out Archie twice, with long letters to Jane and David, asking for news, but both times she had been scolded by her father, the letters resting in his hands. She scowled and threw the cloth on the ground, picking up a length of parchment and her quill and ink pot. She dipped her quill and began scratching out a request to meet up with Ron, and any of his siblings (she was desperate enough to welcome even the company of Percy) to go to Diagon Alley for ice cream the next day. She blew on the ink until it was dry and rolled up her parchment, tying it with a red bow. She got up and made her way to her owl's cage, "Hey Archie. Could you do me a favour and take this to Ron? Don't come back without the reply, ok?"

The tawny owl hooted softly and allowed her to tie the letter to his leg, "Try and hurry though, I want to try and get an invite to Harry too. I bet he'd like to escape his aunt and uncle's house for a day." She opened the latch on her window and stepped aside so that Archie had room to spread his wings. The owl took off, and she watched until he became a little dot on the horizon. Feeling rather better than she had been, she began composing her invite to Harry immediately.

When she was called down for dinner that evening, Hermione was slightly surprised to find her father conversing with Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster at Hogwarts. She decided, upon seeing that they had not noticed her arrival, to hide behind the doorway and hear what they had to say.

"...Albus, I don't know what to do." Snape's voice was layered with annoyance, which she presumed was directed at her. "Patience Severus. Have you at least mentioned what was in my last letter to her?" The headmaster's voice was almost a little smug, she thought, like perhaps he knew she was eavesdropping, and was giving her a hint. "Of course not. Her belief that it's unresolved is all that keeps her from running out." She ground her teeth at her father's words. Apparently she was going to need to be sneaky and take advantage of her inherited Slytherin traits the next time her father was out of the house.

Deciding not to further push her luck, Hermione stepped out of her hiding place and plastered on a fake smile, "Professor Dumbledore!" The two grown men turned to face her, one set of eyes twinkling with mischief, and the other with pride. '_Well_,' she thought smugly, '_apparently dad's still underestimating me. He obviously didn't know I was even there_.' She bowed slightly towards the headmaster before making her way to the dinner table, which was laden with a roast chicken. She wrinkled her nose at this and sighed, her father wasn't taking well to her preference for_ vegetable _based meals.

Dinner was fairly quiet, though she was forced to answer various questions about her days, she kept the bulk of her concerns over Harry to herself, although she did learn that his aunt and uncle lived in Little Whinging, Surrey. She tucked the information away, hoping to find a chance to escape for a day and find a bus to take her there. As soon as she'd been forced to finish enough of the chicken and potatoes for her father's taste, she was dismissed and told, for the second time that day, to go and see a film in town.

Hermione was tucking her wand into her purse with her bag of money (both magical and muggle) when she heard Archie rapping on her window. She bolted for the window and threw it open to allow her owl entrance, "Archie! This is great! You have his answer?" He hooted softly and offered her the parchment tried to his leg, which she accepted. Her eyes skimmed the page, and her smile fell from her face. Ron wouldn't have anything to do with her idea. He claimed to be "_Far too busy playing Quidditch with Fred and George_," but to write him again "_if Harry would be going too_." She ripped the letter to shreds and stuffed it into her purse before grabbing her lovely green diary as well.

She stormed down the stairs and retrieved a pair of sneakers from beside the door, throwing them on haphazardly. "I'm going to the theater!" She called out, knowing her father disliked when she raised her voice inside the house, and left before he could respond. Once she was outside, the sun still merrily glaring down at her, she felt a little more relaxed. So what if Ron didn't want to spend time with just her, she had more friends. Maybe she could even write Pansy and Millicent, and have tea with them. Who needed dumb boys anyways.

She made her way quickly down the street and ignored the many strained looks from the neighborhood children. She wished she'd been able to retrieve more of her belongings from her muggle home before her father had sent her family into hiding, it would have been nice to have the music player her parents had bought for her. In lieu of having any actual music, she found herself lightly singing the Hogwarts school song Dumbledore had made them sing at the opening feast of her first year. She finally reached the small theater and looked up at the list of films that were playing, but found that nothing really caught her eye. She knew that she ought to just turn around and go back to her father's house, but she couldn't bring herself to walk into boredom willingly, so she turned around and walked to the park instead.

Hermione was sitting on swing when it became dark. She'd been in the park for nearly three hours, and supposed that she should leave soon, but she just couldn't find the will to move. She felt safe here, with tree's looming around the edges of the park, and a few small stars lighting up the sky. She found herself missing the view from the top of the astronomy tower at Hogwarts though, with a sky so full of stars she felt like a little speck of sand.

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><p>Severus Snape was sitting in his study, eyes flicking non stop between the old grandfather clock in the corner, and the front door which had not opened since Hermione had left the house three and a half hours ago. It was nearing ten o'clock now and he wasn't quite sure what to do. Did he leave, go to the theater and see if she was there? Did he continue to wait here? If he left the house, he risked missing her on the street. If he stayed put, she could be snapped up by any number of deranged psycho's muggle or magical, and he'd be unable to protect her. He sat in debate for what he thought was several minutes. However, when the clock finally chimed ten-thirty, he jumped out of his chair and strode over to the door. He was done waiting.<p>

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><p>Hermione could hear a church bell off in the distance, telling her it was far too late for little girls to be out alone, in scary parks, but she remained on her swing, thinking about the summer before, when things had been normal. She remembered a time when she and Julie had snuck out to see the circus, but had been caught by the police before they could even reach their destination. She had been grounded for a whole month, and Julie had moved out shortly after. If she hadn't known better, she might have sworn that Julie was her real sister, or mother, for they were far too similar sometimes. But, she guessed, that could be because Julie had helped to raise her too. Jane and David had been so busy when she was little, running their office, and Julie had been the one to care for her most days. So in some ways, she'd always felt Julie was more her mother than Jane. And certainly more so than Kathrine was.<p>

A scowl tugged at her lips as she thought of the woman she had seen in the mirror of Erised. Kathrine had looked so angry and mean, and Hermione wished that Julie _were_ her mother instead. Julie had pretty brown hair, that was straight and long, and pretty green eyes, and some wrinkles from always smiling. But Kathrine had had bushy brown hair, too curly for its own good, and icy blue eyes that looked cruel, and thin lips pressed into a frown. She briefly imagined that she had inherited Julie's looks in place of her mothers, smiling at the thought of straight hair, and a pretty smile. She even ventured to think her father might have liked her more, if she were pretty like Julie.

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><p>Severus stood in front of the theater, nearly in a panic. He'd asked the elderly man in the ticket booth if a young girl with bushy brown hair had come by, and the old man said he'd seen her, but she'd never come in. He tried not to swear as he bid the elderly man good evening, and strode off, back to his house. If she wasn't there, he was going to need to get help looking. He was quite unhappy when he realized that she had not yet returned, and immediately sent his owl off to Dumbledore, and apparated away to the house in which he had sent the Grangers to live. He knocked on their front door hurriedly, hoping that this was not an odd thing for Hermione to do.<p>

Jane had been washing the dishes when she heard the knock on the door. She dried her hands and made her way out of the kitchen, "Who would be calling at this time of night?" She wondered aloud, pausing to look through the peep hole in the door. She gasped when she saw Snape, running his hands through his hair and frowning at his shoes. She unbolted the door and sighed, "She's gone and wandered off, hasn't she?" His head snapped up at the casual tone of her voice and he dropped his hands to his sides, "She's done this before?" He asked, feeling slightly hopeful that someone would at least be able to find her.

Jane nodded and stepped aside to allow him to enter, "She's done it before. Come inside and sit down, I'll have to call Julie for you. She's the only one who can ever seem to find Hermione." Snape, although unwilling to relax while still in the middle of his crisis, stepped into the warm home and slid off his shoes. "Thank you." He said sincerely, heading for the living room to sit on the couch. "If you come to the kitchen, I can make you some tea." He immediately redirected himself to the kitchen. Tea sounded like a good idea. Tea was calming, and he was ready to pull out his hair.

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><p>Hermione stood up from her swing and stretched, no longer wanting to swing back and forth. "I should go back. He'll be worried..." She said out loud to herself, but found her legs moving in the opposite direction of the park's exit. Soon she was laying on her back, spinning on a metal merry-go-round instead. She didn't want to be crammed back into that aweful room, bored out of her skull, watching spiders for fun. She wanted to sleep out under the stars, and spend her days shopping with Julie for art supplies and looking at pretty clothes for one of her older sisters many dates.<p>

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><p>Julie was smirking merrily to herself when she reached her parent's house, wherein Severus Snape was apparently pacing around in a right state at not knowing where Hermione would disappear to. She couldn't help feeling even more smug when the door swung open before she could even knock, revealing a very distressed wizard in black robes. "Lost her, have you?" She snickered, earning a glare from her mother over his shoulder. "Julie dear, let's not be rude. Tell Severus where she's likely gone running off to." Julie shrugged and crossed her arms, "I have to see a map of the town before I can guess, I'm not psychic mother."<p>

Snape felt his eye twitch, he pulled out his wand and conjured a map of Spinner's End, placing it in the hands of the smug young woman in front of him. Julie looked at the map and laughed suddenly. "I know exactly where she'll be. Take me there." She pointed to the closest intersection to the large park near the edge of the town. "You can't come to Spinner's End, do you realize how dangerous that could be?" He asked incredulously, wondering if she had even realized what she was asking. Julie rolled her eyes and rolled up the map, "No more dangerous than letting her continue to sit in a park all night, by herself, and trust me, even with your magic, if she doesn't want you to find her, you won't."

Severus bit his tongue and growled, "Fine. But just this once." He felt that he very well could find her on his own, whether she hid or not, but it would be breaching the laws a bit to use magic in a muggle park. He extended his hand towards her, and Julie stared at it in confusion. "No need to shake on it. I'll drive. You navigate." Jane chuckled softly as Julie turned from the door and walked back down the front steps, twirling her car keys on her finger. "But I-" Snape tried to protest, but went unheeded as Julie unlocked her car, "How did you get here, Severus?" Jane asked suddenly, as she realized that there was only one car on the street. "I apparated." His answer made both women cock their heads at him in confusion, "You what?"

He sighed and brought his hand up to rub at his temples, "I apparated. It's a magical form of transportation, it's instant." As he explained this, he vaguely recalled rule number five about apparition: you can't bring a muggle side-along. He was going to have to get in the car, or risk spending the night rummaging through a town park and possibly get arrested by the muggle police. A head ache would be the result of either situation. With a soft groan he made his way down to the car, "You'd better drive fast. I've just remembered you can't apparate with a muggle."

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><p>Hermione hadn't moved from her new resting place for well over two hours, unless you counted the fact that her resting place was spinning in steady circles. She wondered how late it was, and if she'd be grounded the moment she returned home or not. Home. She wrinkled her nose at having thought of her father's house as home. It wasn't very homey, and ninety-nine percent of the town thought it was an abandoned dump. Home was where ever Jane and David were, where ever Julie was. Just because her school things were tucked into her 'room' at her father's house, didn't mean it was her home. She was rather sad as she realized that this was exactly what she'd asked for at the end of last August, too. Living with her wizarding father, in his home.<p>

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><p>Julie drove in silence for a while, the head lights of her car slicing through the dark highway, and her brooding passenger glaring out the window. "So, was she happy when you told her Danny came back home?" She asked, breaking the silence. Snape flinched slightly, "She doesn't know." He had never been one to second guess himself, but now, as he felt Julie's fist collide with his right arm, he felt a smidgen of doubt over his decision. "Why the bloody hell not!" Julie shouted angrily, replacing her left hand on the steering wheel, seething. "It was best to keep her on her toes. If she knew he'd simply run away on his own and returned, she would think there was no danger for your family and most likely sneak off on her own." The argument, he decided, had sounded much better in his head. Out loud, he thought he sounded rather like a prick.<p>

Julie apparently felt the same, as she struck him on the arm once again. "I'd treat her like more of an adult if I were you. If she finds out you've been keeping things from her, she's never going to listen to you." Her words cut through him like a knife. "And how do you know that?" He sneered, rubbing his now sore arm. "I'm the one who raised her." She shot back, clutching the steering wheel tighter. "She's a hell of a lot smarter than most adults give her credit for, and the reason she listens to me is because I acknowledge that fact." They drove in silence from then on, and he mulled over her words. He supposed he had been denying his daughter's maturity level for a while.

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><p>Hermione heard a car rumble to a stop in the distance and felt a smirk tug at her lips. She could faintly hear the familiar voice of her sister, commanding her father to stay put by the car. While it had not, in any way, been her intention to worry her father, she felt happier knowing he had been worried enough to contact her mother, whom had undoubtedly been the one to call Julie. She looked up as she heard the crunch of approaching footsteps, and her happiness sank away. The figure approaching her, at least the closest one, was not Julie, nor was it Severus Snape. "HERMIONE!" She heard Julie's scream, but didn't dare remove her eyes from the approaching man. He wore long black robes, and she couldn't see his face. She felt the familiar fear, likening this man to the shadow man whom had lunged at her in the infirmary at Hogwarts. Suddenly there was a bright flash of red light, and she heard her sister crash to the ground behind her. She whimpered, scrambling to her feet and drawing her own wand. She desperately hoped her father had noticed what was happening, and Julie was okay.<p>

Severus, whom had been glaring at the ground, sulking to himself, looked up as he caught the flash of red light out of the corner of his eye. He withdrew his wand and was running towards the park the moment he saw the cloaked figure approaching his frightened daughter. He ran past Julie's prone form, and shot a stunning spell at the man near his daughter, but it was reflected. "Hermione, RUN!" He shouted, before firing another spell at the other man.

Hermione wanted to obey her father, but she was to afraid to move now, her knees were shaking, and her knuckles were white from grasping her wand too tight. She watched the cloaked man block spell after spell, and she began to shake all over. He was too fast. If he tried to attack her father, he'd probably win. Then she'd be left to face him alone. Her eyes darted around on the ground in front of her until they fell on a rock the size of her fist. Gathering all her courage, she slowly crouched down, reaching for the rock, praying the man wouldn't realize what she was doing. When her fingers successfully closed around the stone, she felt another wave of Gryffindor courage sweep through her, and she stood up quickly. The man had now turned his attention entirely onto her father, and he was still blocking every spell. She swallowed hard, hoped god would forgive her, and lobbed the rock at the man's head, where it connected with a rather sick thud.

The man whirled around to face her, his wand raised, and curse words spilling forth "...You rotten fucking brat! I'll kill you for that!" His hissed words died as he was hit by a flash of blinding red light, and he crumpled into a heap on the ground. She was shaking like a leaf again when her father reached her, and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close.

Severus was so relieved to have her in his arms, safe and sound, that he was willing to forget how angry he'd been earlier. He let her go after a few minutes and quickly bound her attacker with another spell. "Now do you see?" He asked her gently, motioning to the man on the ground with his hand. Hermione nodded quickly and grabbed his other hand, "He hit Julie with a spell!" She shouted suddenly, recalling that her sister was in the park, laying on the ground as well. Snape nodded, lighting the tip of his wand, "Don't worry. He just stunned her. She'll be fine." He lead his daughter over to the prone form of her sister and said "_Ennervate_." Causing Julie to shoot up with a gasp.

Julie's eyes darted around until they fell on Hermione and she lunged at her, locking her into another tight embrace. "Ohthankgod!" She muttered quickly, over and over, brushing her fingers nervously through Hermione's hair. Her bright green eyes flickered up to Severus' and she felt her heart flutter as she saw the flicker of paternal love in his eyes. She felt that maybe, just maybe, she had misjudged him a little. Severus looked around the park, ensuring it was indeed empty now, and cleared his throat, "Stay right there. I need to go see who was under that cloak." Julie nodded slightly, not releasing her grip on Hermione. Snape strode over to the bound, stunned form several feet away.

Hermione, whom had been clinging to her sister tightly, turned her head just enough to watch. She felt shock course through her when her father tugged the cloak away from the mans face, and his long silvery blonde hair tumble around his face. She tightened her grip on Julie. She remembered his face from the day she boarded the Hogwarts express. It was Lucius Malfoy, Draco's father.

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><p>A half hour later, they were all seated in the living room of Snape's house, tea in front of Hermione, and a glass of Ogden's Old Firewhiskey in front of both Severus and Julie; and the unconscious lump of Lucius Malfoy locked safely in Snape's study. They were awaiting the arrival of Albus Dumbledore, whom was at the Ministry of Magic, trying to sort out the incident with discretion. "Was that man a -" Julie was nervous and took a small sip of the steaming liquid in her glass, "A death eater?" She whispered the words, afraid that to say them too loud would draw more to them.<p>

Severus pursed his lips, and swirled the contents of his own glass. He didn't want to get into this, in front of Hermione, when she was still so young, but his conversation in the car with Julie earlier was still bouncing around in his head. "He was." He answered finally, downing the entire contents of his glass, pouring himself some more. The room lapsed into silence again, and Hermione sipped at her tea, trying her hardest not to drop the cup from her shaking fingers. She knew that the evening's events were her own fault, for if she'd just returned home when there hadn't been a film she'd wished to see, then she would not have been out to be attacked, and would not have gotten Draco's father into trouble. And she was sure he must be. Why else would Dumbledore be taking so long to arrive, if not trying to protect the father of her friend?

Suddenly there was rapping at the door, and Severus quickly went to open it. Hermione watched as her father stepped aside, and Dumbledore entered, with two unfamiliar people following him. One was a portly little man, who looked exhausted and grey with pinstriped robes. The other was a tall man with shocking golden blonde hair and a debonair smirk. "So sorry Severus. Gildroy Lockhart insisted on tagging along once he heard what had happened, and the Minister here wished to have a word with you."

Hermione shifted her place on the couch until she was much closer to Julie, after Lockhart fixed his eyes upon them, "Brave one you are, rushing to the aid of these muggles, Severus!" She wanted to correct the horribly vibrant man, but wasn't sure how to do so. Dumbledore took pity on her and placed his hand on the blonde man's shoulder as Severus led the Minister out of the room to speak in private. "Actually Gildroy, the younger girl is Hermione Granger, she's a student of Hogwarts. Her elder sister, however, is indeed a muggle. Julie Granger." He gestured to each of the girls as he said their names, and the blonde man gave them a dazzling smile. Hermione squeaked and dropped her teacup, a blush spreading over her face. Gildroy whipped out his wand, "Not to worry m'dear, I'll fix it in no time!" He waved it around wildly and cried "_Repairo_," and the shards of glass on the floor, instead of fixing themselves, burst into flames.

Julie shouted in shock and pulled her feet up onto the couch, tugging Hermione further away from the flames as well. Severus rushed back into the room in time to see Dumbledore put out the flaming teacup shards, while Gildroy attempted to explain he didn't know why his wand had done such a thing. The Minister came up behind him when he did not return, and asked, "What's happened?" Dumbledore chuckled, easing the tension in the room slightly, "Miss Granger accidentally broke her teacup, and Gildroy was kind enough to try and repair it, however, it inexplicably burst into flames instead and startled the girls." He said this as though it were, in fact, a most common occurrence. The Minister nodded and cleared his throat awkwardly, "Yes, well, I think I'm quite done here. Brave thing you've done tonight Severus, shame you didn't catch the attacker." He bustled over to the front door and was gone quickly.

Hermione's eyebrows furrowed as she processed the minister's words, what did he mean, "_too bad you didn't catch the attacker_," the man was in the study! "Severus, I believe the usual course of action would be best." Dumbledore said, his tone momentarily serious, before turning to face Lockhart, "Come Gildroy, we should go and finish the paperwork. I believe they have had too much excitement and need their rest." He ushered the blonde man out of the house, ignoring his protests. As soon as the visitor's were gone, Julie slammed her glass on the table, "Didn't catch him?" She growled.

Severus sighed and leaned against the door frame to the hallway, "You don't understand. Lucius Malfoy, while a former death eater, is a very powerful man." He flicked his wand and summoned the glass he had abandoned in the kitchen, where he'd been speaking with Fudge. "Cornelius Fudge, the Minister, is a close personal friend of his cheque book, and then we would have to worry about the news getting out." He drained his glass and pushed himself off the wall. "It's late, you should both get some sleep. I'll get you a blanket for the couch." He turned to leave the room but was stopped by Hermione's voice, "Actually, can she stay with me?" Julie smiled at her younger sister, and ruffled her bushy hair, "If she wishes." He replied without turning around. "Sure kiddo. I know you won't sleep otherwise." Julie said mockingly, reminded once more why she had come to Spinner's End in the first place.

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><p>Severus made his way down the hall and into his study, leaving the two on the couch, deep in his own thoughts. He strode over to his desk, locking the door to his study behind himself and pulled out a small vial with a clear liquid inside. His eyes flickered over to the unconscious form of Lucius Malfoy, and he waved his wand at the man, rousing him from his stunned state. "What the - Severus!" Lucius snarled, trying to break free of his bindings unsuccessfully. Snape removed the stopper from the vial as he walked towards the bound man and forced three drops into his mouth. "Why were you in Spinner's End at such a late hour, in such a heavy cloak?"<p>

As if in a trance, Lucius responded, "I came to see if the rumours were true. If you had your child living with you, in hiding." Snape cursed bitterly and slammed his fist on the table, "Where did you hear this rumour?" He demanded, to which the blonde man simply replied, "I have my sources." "Tell me who!" Snape shouted, losing what little patience he had left. "I do not know their name." Snape growled and pointed his wand at Lucius, "_Stupefy. Obliviate_." He ensured that he removed only enough memory for the man to forget everything from the moment he had stepped into the park, and replaced it with a new, fake, memory of a conversation between them, stating that his child had been dead for several years. And once he was done, he placed a hand on his shoulder and apparated them both to the front gates of Malfoy Manor. He unbound Lucius with a flick of his wand and ennervated him before apparating back home.

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><p>End chapter one of Year two!<p>

Ok, a few minor points to make.

First, about Danny. In case you're still confused, the short version is that he ran away from home, on his own, and then returned about a week later because he's a teenager, and that's what they do. (no offense to the teenagers, i don't mean ALL teenagers, just Danny.) They do what they want, and make mistakes.

Second, Severus Snape does not tell Hermione this, because he thinks she'll run off and put her family in actual danger. Because, as this chapter points out blatantly, they are in actual danger.

Third, this chapter is ungodly long, and the next chapter is quite long as well, if memory serves.

Also, I'm starting on writing Year Three today. Because all I have left to write for Year Two is the end of the feast, the train ride, and where Hermione plans to spend her summer.


	2. Things Are Looking Up

A girl named Hermione Granger: Year Two

Chapter Two: Things are looking up

Disclaimer: Only thing I can pretend to own is Julie, Danny, Sarah, Joey and the unnamed five year old brother.

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><p>Hermione woke up the next day to find her sister no longer on the cramped bed with her. She flung the blankets from herself and tugged on a pair of slippers before racing down the stairs and into the kitchen. She felt a great wave of relief when she saw Julie standing at the stove, flipping pancakes. "Julie! You're still here!" She ran over and hugged her sister from behind, a big smile on her face. "Ha ha, whoa there. Calm down 'mione, I've got a hot pan in my hands." Julie said with a laugh, and Hermione quickly let go, taking two steps back. She looked around the kitchen quickly for her father, but he was no where to be seen. "He's gone to, er, Diagon ally, I think he said." Julie said as she noticed the younger girl's questioning examination of the room.<p>

"Oh. I get it. You're only here to babysit me now." Hermione said with a slight pout, until her eyes fell upon the half full coffee pot on the counter. She grinned evilly and made a dash for the cupboard she knew would have the mugs in it, she was disappointed to find them all moved up, out of her reach however. "He says you're too young for coffee." Julie reached over and turned off the stove as she double checked that the last pancake was finished, then reached up into the cupboard and pulled out a mug and winked at Hermione, "And I say you'll need the energy today." Hermione poured the coffee into her cup and quickly took a sip. "Aahhh...I missed coffee." She sighed happily, gulping back the warm, bitter drink.

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><p>Severus was at a loss again. Julie had informed him this morning, before Hermione had woken up, that he had to tell her about Danny. So he'd come to Diagon Ally in an ill conceived attempt to find something with which he could bribe her with for forgiveness. Had she been a boy, the answer would have been to simply buy her a racing broom, and leave it at that. However, his daughter wasn't much of a flyer. He knew she liked books, but he'd be damned if he knew what sort of book might be fitting for the occasion. By quarter of ten, he decided on going into the sweetshop, and bought her a selection of the various candies they sold.<p>

When he apparated back home, he heard laughter in his kitchen. At least he knew he wasn't going to have to wait for his daughter to wake up. He made his way into the kitchen and dropped the box of sweets. On his foot. Julie and Hermione were seated at the table, the former pouring the latter a cup of coffee, which he presumed was not her first cup of the day. "Good morning!" Hermione greeted cheerily, taking a sip from her cup of coffee.

Severus quickly plucked the box off his now sore foot, and deposited it on the table, allowing himself to slump down into an empty chair. "How many cups of coffee is that?" He asked, dreading the answer. The brunette witch just smiled and pushed the cup away with a sigh. "The second." She answered brightly. He gave the cup a half-hearted glare and shrugged. Perhaps Julie had thought it would help to 'soften the blow'.

He opened his mouth, but closed it again as he realized he didn't know where to start. "Maybe just let her read the letter?" Julie said simply, pouring syrup over her pancakes. She ignored her younger sisters questioning gaze, and gave Severus a brief, meaningful glance. The potions master ran his hands through his hair and flicked his wand to summon the aforementioned letter from his study. He wordlessly gave it to Hermione and watched her read it with interest.

Hermione, though she was angry, took the news calmly. It's not as though Danny had never run away for attention before, after all. She let her dark eyes fall on the box her father pushed towards her on the table. She hesitantly reached out and opened it to find the shaken contents of five broken sugar quills, four crushed chocolate frogs, and a scuffed box of Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans. She couldn't help but burst out laughing at the contents.

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><p>Draco Lucius Malfoy was not having an ideal summer. Since he had been home, his father had hired a Quidditch coach for him, and he was being forced to attend several grueling hours of practice everyday. The most frustrating part was that he had rather liked Quidditch. Until now. And he didn't like being seeker, it wasn't his best skill, as he was quickly finding out. His father was insisting, however, that he would be seeker, and he would be better than Harry Potter, or else. And Draco was not eager to face the '<em>or else<em>' part.

It was nearly a whole month into summer now, and he was finally able to at least catch glimpses of the snitch, whenever it was sunny enough for the speedy ball to glint in the light. His mother had been attempting to plead with his father to allow him a day or two off of training to go and visit his friends, by arguing that he would likely preform better if he had some time to relax and let his lessons sink in. At the moment he was slumped against the base of a tree, his new racing broom abandoned on the ground beside him, and his instructor was periodically banging his head against a tree on the other side of their practice field. The young Slytherin almost felt bad for the man whom had been bullied into training him, when he wasn't pitying himself over his lost summer.

His eyes lit up when a house elf with bulbous green eyes and batty ears appeared beside him, "Mistress requests your presence young Master." It said in a squeaky voice, bowing so low its nose almost touched the ground. "Very well Dobby, tell her I'll be there in a minute." He dismissed the elf and, when it had left, he did a little pre-victory dance. His mother had said she wouldn't send for him until she'd convinced his father, and he was excited to be allowed to leave the manor. He hopped onto his broom and raced back to the manor as quickly as he could. Within minutes he was sitting in his mother's drawing room, trying very hard to keep from grinning in an un-Malfoy like way.

"Draco," Narcissa tilted her head in greeting to her son and smiled softly, "Your father has finally relented, if you promise to work harder upon your return, you may have a one week break." She almost laughed at the joy in his eyes, but refrained from doing so, "Perhaps you could go and visit Blaise, or, if you would like, Severus will be leaving for Scotland tomorrow and you may go with him." She, of course, knew that Snape would be bringing his daughter on the trip as well, and she really wanted her son to become very fond of the girl. Surely, one day, it would come out that she was his daughter, and then she could persuade her husband to arrange a marriage between them.

Draco was immediately torn. To stay and visit his best friend Blaise, and probably Crabbe and Goyle as well, or to go to Scotland with his godfather and Hermione. It was entirely likely that this would be his only chance to relax all summer, and he would need to make the most of it. "I think I'd like to stay, but I'd like to visit uncle today." He felt rather proud of his idea. "Very well, but go and shower. You smell dreadful. I'll floo Severus and let him know to expect you."

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><p>Hermione and Julie were setting up a Monopoly board on the kitchen table when Snape rushed into his study, saying something about a 'floo' call. Julie gave Hermione a questioning look, assuming it was something magic related, but the brown haired Gryffindor merely shrugged, "I don't know what a 'floo' call is. It's the first I've heard of it." She said simply, counting out the money notes, setting aside three piles. She was nearly finished when her father swept back into the room with a light frown. "You'll have to set it for two more. That was Narcissa. She floo'd to tell me Draco wanted to visit, and when I told her we were having a game day, she insisted on coming along as well." He was worried about how Narcissa would react to Julie being here, her being a muggle, but it was too late to do anything now. He had already mentioned her being here.<p>

Hermione grinned at the thought of having Draco over, (she could finally teach him a game in which she excelled,) but wasn't sure how to feel about the older woman coming as well. She remembered her being slightly snobbish, and got the distinct impression she was one of the witches who thought they were better than muggles. Although, she supposed, no one had to tell her Julie was a muggle, and if it did slip out, what did it matter? Julie got on alright with her father, and Draco, so one woman's opinion hardly mattered.

Within minutes there was a knock at the door and Severus went to retrieve their guests, leaving Julie and Hermione pick their playing pieces. "I'll be the top hat, I think." Hermione said, pulling out the small piece of metal, as Julie claimed the iron for herself. Draco was the first to enter the kitchen, with his mother and godfather close behind him. "What's this?" He asked curiously, looking at the brightly coloured board. Hermione smirked slightly, "This is Monopoly, it's a muggle board game, where you buy properties and build hotels." The blonde boy looked at the game funny, and shrugged, "How much money do you need to play?" At his nonchalant question, both Hermione and Julie giggled. "You don't need any real money, it comes with play money." Hermione said, trying to stop laughing as she saw the slight frown on his face.

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><p>Four grueling hours later, they quit the game. Julie protested slightly at the unanimous decision, as she was gleefully counting her huge stack of fake money, but was ignored. "I forgot how awfully long that game could get." Hermione moaned, slumping onto the table, a few meager one dollar bills and two mortgaged properties in front of her. It had been a long time since she'd lost a game of Monopoly.<p>

"How about Hermione and Draco go outside, and get some fresh air?" Narcissa asked, somehow still sounding chipper, although she had lost terribly at a muggle board game. Hermione was glad to take the chance to escape, but was halted halfway to the door by her father. "Stay in the yard." His voice left no room for argument, and she was blushing with embarrassment as she stomped out into the back yard, not waiting for Draco to follow her. The young Slytherin was right behind her however, eager to flee the prying eyes of the adults.

Once the door was closed behind him he let out a low whistle, "So, that wasn't awkward at all." He drawled, referring to the strained conversation that had taken place half way through the game, when his mother had asked Julie if she'd attended Hogwarts herself. Hermione groaned and flopped down on the ground so she could look directly at the clouds, "Oh yeah, no that was perfectly pleasant." She grumbled sarcastically. That had been the longest four hours of her life. "So, what have you been up to this summer?" Draco asked, laying himself down beside her, with his hands folded behind his head.

Hermione bit her lip and played mental ping pong about what to say. She had been forbidden to tell him about his father attacking her at the park, of course, but aside from that she'd done next to nothing. "Well," She started, pretending to be trying to recall events, "I stayed out late one night, trying to figure out where my muggle family was living, and father couldn't find me, so he went to Jane, and she called Julie, and they found me asleep in the park." It was relatively close to the truth, she decided, "And since then, he lets her come visit on Friday's." She felt bad for lying, but she knew she couldn't say anything without her father interrupting her. Draco just nodded, "That's a lie." He was laughing as he called her out, and she flushed again with embarrassment. "Yeah. It is. But I've been forbidden to say what happened. I got attacked in the park, you know? Scared the bejeezus out of my dad." She tried to cover her mouth from view so that her father couldn't guess at what she'd said, but was relieved to find none of the adults watching through the windows.

She dropped her hand back to its resting place on her stomach as Draco looked at her, aghast with the news. "What?" He was sure he'd heard that wrong. He had to've. Hermione just shrugged, "You heard me. I can't repeat it, and I don't know for sure who it was, but I think he was a death eater." She remembered the foul things he had muttered to her, and it brought back memories of the school year when she'd been called names by the older students. "Hey, Draco?" The one name reverberated in her mind, and she realized that she still did not know what it meant. He grunted in response, stunned by her previous confession. "What's 'mudblood' mean?" His reaction was actually quite funny, she decided, as he chocked on his own spit and shot up into a sitting position. "Where'd you hear that?" If possible, he looked more offended at the word then he had upon hearing she'd been attacked.

She shrugged casually, and looked into his eyes for a moment, "A few of the older kids were calling me that at Hogwarts, when I lost all those house points." She knew it had to be an insult, but she had managed to put it out of her mind before the exams had started. "It refers to muggle born witches and wizards. It means that their blood is dirty, unlike mine, which is pure. Mine's considered pure, because every one in my family has been a witch, wizard, or veela." His words sunk in, and she frowned. Oh, so that's what it was. Her attention caught at the end of his sentence and stuck to one word in particular. "What's a veela?" She saw his usual arrogant smirk slide across his face, and she rolled her eyes. "Veela are magical creatures, they look mostly human, except they're tragically beautiful. Most pureblood families have at least some veela blood in them, to ensure all future generations will be beautiful." He was so smug by the end of his explanation that she tugged some grass from the lawn and tossed it in his face playfully.

They chatted about various things for a few hours, including both his lavish birthday present from his father (a racing broom, the Nimbus 2001,) and how Hermione was feeling cut off from all her friends, either because she was unable to write them by Snape's rules, or not receiving answers from the ones she did write to. Draco was just telling her to send them howlers, for fun of course, when they were called back inside for dinner. Draco was the first to his feet, and he offered his hand to her, which she stared at, slightly surprised. She placed her hand in his and he hoisted her to her feet, a small smirk adorning his face, "Malfoy's are gentlemen." He said with a self important air, and the brunette laughed at him while she brushed the dirt from her shirt and pants. "Hurry up you two! My food's getting cold!" Julie shouted from the kitchen, leaning halfway out of the tiny window above the sink. Hermione shuffled inside quickly, with Draco close behind, and took her usual seat between her father and Julie, while Draco joined his mother on the far side of the table.

The dinner mood was light and surprisingly fun. It seemed that Narcissa had decided to disregard the fact that Julie was a muggle, and the two actually got along quite well.

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><p>End chapter two! I know it's short compared to chapter one, but that is because I cut it down. It originally had chapter three added at the end, but I thought it mildly ridiculous to have such a long chapter, and you'll see what I mean when chapter three is posted. Also, by doing this, I've managed to get twelve chapters out of Year Two. And I have cute, fluffy bits coming your way. Some sweet little Dramione build up.<p>

So far Year Three is is suffering my boredom and I've decided to throw a massive hole into my plot, that you'll hate, but love because it'll just help build up the Dramione.


	3. My First Floo

A girl named Hermione Granger: Year Two

Chapter Three: My first floo

Disclaimer: Don't own a knut.

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><p>Four days into August, Hermione received a piece of post from Ron, the first he had sent on his own, and had been of half a mind to turn it over to her father. The daft red headed boy was planning to go to Harry's muggle Aunt and Uncle's house, and break him out. With the help of Fred and George. She admitted that it was frustrating to not have received a thank you from the dark haired seeker with the scar of his face, but she thought that there was probably a better way to go about it. She refrained from ratting them out however, in favour of reading through a new book she'd received by owl from Draco. Her Slytherin friend had been more disconcerted about her attack than he had originally let on, it seemed, because he'd sent her a book full of protective spells with a bonus chapter of 'fun ways to jinx your friends', which had made her laugh when she'd read the title.<p>

It wasn't until she finally received her list of supplies from Hogwarts that she remembered to write Harry and Ron, nearly a week after his 'daring rescue from the muggles'. She scribbled out a short letter, telling them that she hoped they hadn't done anything illegal and, feeling in a generously good mood after a pleasant visit with her muggle parents the day before, she added that she hoped to meet them in Diagon Ally on the following Wednesday. She had already been thrilled to find that Jane and David would be joining her in her trip, because her father needed to return to the school early and prepare his lesson plans for the beginning of the year. She was planning to return home with Jane and David for the last week before school, instead of being sent to stay with her grandmother. The woman had apparently decided she didn't want very much to do with her granddaughter, which was fine by Hermione. She had more than enough family right now.

By the time the following Wednesday rolled around, she was standing in her father's study, watching him remove an ornate pot from one of the top shelves of a bookshelf. "This is floo powder. We'll be using it to meet Jane and David at the Leaky Cauldron, and I will part ways with you once we've entered Gringotts." He had spent the entire day before creating the meticulous plan with the Grangers, a plan which involve himself wandering around various shops, to keep an eye out for trouble, planning to never be more than one or two shops from where they were. Although Hermione felt this was vastly unnecessary, she had made no arguments, having fallen into a steady understanding with her father over the summer. She had already come to forgive him, of his faults, and for not telling her that Danny had returned home on his own before summer, and even found it within herself to admire him for working so hard to protect her and her family, despite the difficulty it created in his own life.

He removed the lid from the jar and held it low enough for her to reach in, "You only need a pinch." He instructed as she reached in and retrieve some of the silky powder. "Now, when you're ready, throw it on the fire, step in when it goes green, and say, very clearly, Diagon Ally." She nodded and stepped closer to the fire place, and spread the powder into the fire, which immediately became emerald green. She took a deep breath before stepping in and said "Diagon Ally!" She felt herself spin away from her father's house violently, and shut her eyes as her hair whipped around her face. Suddenly the spinning stopped, and she fell forward, tumbling onto the filthy floor of the Leaky Cauldron, coughing up soot. She stood up as quickly as possible, and scurried out of the way as the flames turned green again and her father stepped out, not a speck of soot on him or his robes. She coughed as she spotted the smirk on his face, and frowned as soot flew everywhere. He waved his wand at her nonchalantly and the soot vanished. She smiled and slowly made her way out of the pub, onto the muggle street where her parents would be waiting, with Severus following close behind.

As soon as she stepped out onto the sunny street she saw David standing out front of a shoe store across the street. She looked both ways before dashing across and jumping into her adoptive father's arms, "Dad!" She shouted excitedly, having not seen him since the previous Christmas, because he was setting up his new practice, and had been too busy to come by with Julie or her mother. David Granger laughed as he wrapped his arms around her, crouching down so most of her weight was on the ground. "Hermy! When did you get so much bigger?" He asked teasingly as she pulled away to make a face at his chosen nickname. "I haven't grown that much!" She insisted, despite the fact that when she had tried her robes on the night before, she'd found them to be at least an inch too short.

Severus watched the interaction with no outward expression, although inside he had felt a tiny stab of jealousy at the greeting that had been extended. He knew that she would probably always feel closer to her muggle parents. He crossed the street, a terse smile plastered onto his face, and nodded in greeting to the brown haired man. "Good day David. I trust the new practice is running well." David gave the dark haired man a wry smile and nodded in return. "Very. It was hard to say good bye to the old one though."

Julie and Jane chose this moment to leave the store, and each were greeted with equal enthusiasm from Hermione, who had missed Jane, despite her visit the week before, and Julie, despite her weekly visits. "We should head to Gringotts now, the Weasley's and Potter will be arriving in fifteen minutes." Severus said, looking down at the golden watch shining up from his wrist. He ushered them across the street, and into the Leaky Cauldron without another word. The Grangers gaped as they were led through the dingy pub, standing out more than they had thought they would, in their muggle clothes. Hermione assured them that they wouldn't look as out of place once they entered Diagon Ally, thinking about thelast time she had been there, and seen a few witches and wizards dressed haphazardly in muggle clothes that didn't match.

As they watched the entrance to Diagon Alley open itself, (Hermione having done the honors, as it didn't actually require magic,) Julie, Jane and David were wide eyed with wonder. The street was busier than the muggle one on the other side had been, with what seemed to be hundreds of witches rushing by to the book store, gushing about a man named Lockhart (at which name Hermione blushed and was nudged by a smirking Julie.) "We're headed to the big white building, over at the far end," Severus stated calmly, gesturing to the left end of the street. They hurried through the crowds, Hermione holding tight to both her adoptive parents hands, so they would not get lost. "Do you think it would be alright for us to buy a few things around here? If we promised not to run around displaying them to other muggles?" Julie asked in awe, as she saw a book labelled '_Potions for absolute beginners_' in the window of an apothecary. Snape shrugged lightly, "You'll find most shops won't sell you much, seeing as you're muggles. However a few books might be a good idea."

Just as they entered the bank, Hermione wondered aloud if she might be able to show Julie to her vault, knowing of her older sisters love for 'wild rides'. "I'm afraid not. Muggles can't access the back areas of Gringotts. As such, it's not very common for muggleborns to have their own vaults until they turn of age." Snape led them to a counter and withdrew a key from inside of his robes, and Hermione did the same. "Name." The Goblin asked with a hissing voice, "Severus Snape, to make a withdrawal." Hermione swallowed as her father spoke and mustered up her courage, "And Hermione Granger, to make a withdrawal as well." She followed her father's lead and place her key on the tall desk, almost unable to reach. "Very well. I will have someone escort you." Severus nodded before gesturing behind him to the Grangers, "These muggles would like to exchange some money as well. You will be courteous." His voice held a thinly veiled threat that made both Hermione and the goblin shudder slightly, "Very well sir. Your escort." He hissed again, and Hermione allowed herself to be lead away from her adoptive parents, "They will be fine. We'll likely be back before they are done." Severus said softly, noting his daughter's discomfort.

A wild cart ride later, Hermione was trying to comb through her hair with her fingers to regain some control of it, her purse weighed down heavily with more gold than she knew she needed. She knew she needed to be responsible with her money, but found it ever so hard to refrain herself when she saw the massive piles of gold, silver and bronze. Also sitting in her purse was an old tarnished silver mirror that had been placed upon a higher shelf in the room and had caught her eye. Her father had protested her need for it, claiming that such a hand held mirror was frivolous and pointless for school, but she had held her ground and withdrew it from the vault anyways. It has simply called out to her, telling her she would need it. She walked patiently behind her father as they were led back into the main part of the hall, and she saw that Jane and David were indeed still working on exchanging their money. She saw out the front doors of bank, the Weasley's rushing towards Hagrid and a soot covered Harry. She turned to give her father a good-bye smile, but he was already gone.

Hermione scrunched her nose but let out a sigh and went outside to meet her friends, with Julie rushing behind her. "Harry! Harry, over here!" She shouted, calling the attention of the dark haired boy, "What's happened to your glasses?" She asked as she rushed towards her friends, Julie right behind her still. Harry was about to answer when the older brunette cleared her throat importantly and nudged Hermione in the ribs. "Ah, sorry Harry. This Is Julie, my big sister, Julie that's Harry Potter, Rubeus Hagrid, Ron Weasley, Fred and George Weasley, and-" Hermione pointed to each of the group as she said their names, stopping when she reached the young red haired girl and the two whom were obviously the parents of the Weasley brood. She couldn't introduce people she didn't really know, now could she?

Thankfully, Ron's portly, but cheery, mother took over and extended her hand to the taller brunette, "Molly Weasley, and this is Ginerva - sorry, Ginny, - and Arthur, my husband." Julie enthusiastically shook all their hands, and Hermione froze as she realized she'd left her parent's inside. "Oh bother, I've left them all alone!" She gasped, rushing back into the white marble bank, with the rest of them following closely behind, except Hagrid, who said his good byes and was off. She approached the counter, ready to apologize, but was cut off by an enthusiastic Arthur Weasley, whom was thrilled to be meeting actual muggles. Hermione allowed herself to be tugged slightly away from the adults by Harry and Ron (whom suddenly seemed happy to be speaking to her.)

"You'll never guess who I saw in Knocturn Alley, in Borgan and Birks." Harry said quickly, excitement lighting his eyes in a way that made her smile. She hadn't realized just how much she'd missed the two boys. "Who?" She and Ron asked excitedly, "Malfoy and his father!" Harry exclaimed a little loudly, gathering the attention of Ron's parents and her own. Hermione caught their eyes as they looked ready to ask if he'd meant Draco, and shook her head firmly. They couldn't know about the Malfoy's. "Did Lucius -" At the name of the blonde man, Hermione noticed Julie's face twitch to a frown, " - buy anything?" Arthur asked enthusiastically. "No, selling." Harry replied, "So he's worried." A smug grin worked its way over Mr. Weasley's face, and he gloated to his little audience about how he'd love to be the one to get something on Lucius. Hermione had to bite her tongue at this, she had information that would make the balding, middle aged wizard drool. Too bad it was another sworn secret.

Mrs. Weasley scolded her husband and pushed him up to the closest open goblin, Harry and Ron following closely behind. Hermione waited in the lobby, carefully explaining the way money worked in the wizarding world to her adoptive parents and Julie. "There are twenty-nine knuts, the bronze ones, into each sickle, the silver ones, and seventeen sickles to a galleon, which are the big gold ones." She helped them count out their meager piles of gold, silver and bronze next, informing them that things could be a little pricey in certain shops.

By the time they outside on the marble steps, Mr. Weasley had insisted on taking David and Jane for drinks at the Leaky Cauldron, he would have insisted on Julie as well, but she had slipped off to the apothecary when he wasn't looking. Julie had grown curious over the summer about what exactly it was that Severus taught at the school. She had seen all the bottled potions, and musty old books in his study, and as far as she had surmised, potions was strictly calculations and careful instructions. Something she felt she could handle no problem.

Hermione, Harry and Ron were informed to meet up at Flourish and Blotts in an hour by Mrs. Weasley, as the rest of the group broke off to do their own things. Hermione felt her purse jingle with the coins she had recently withdrawn, and wondered just how rich she could pretend to be in front of her Gryffindor friends, without drawing suspicion. She felt moderately embarrassed as Harry insisted on buying the two of them large strawberry and peanut butter ice creams, and decided she'd make it up late on the train with enough candy to make their heads spin. They ambled along the busy cobbled street, licking at their frozen treats, and Hermione saw Ron's gaze wander over to the Quidditch supplies store. In the window was a model of the newest racing broom, the very same as the one Draco had told her he received for his birthday.

They strolled through several shops, coming across different members of the Weasley clan, Fred and George had been inside of a joke shop, stocking up on some interesting things that Hermione wished she could buy, but knew it was a bad idea to pull out so much money in front of her friends. They found Percy, (whom Hermione was not very fond of, after the previous year when he had partook in the named calling,) buried in a terribly boring looking book, which Ron made fun of. When they finally made their way up to Flourish and Blotts, they found the reason for the crowded streets.

_GILDROY LOCKHART_

_will be signing copies of his autobiography_

_MAGICAL ME_

_today 12:30 - 4:30_

Hermione felt the blush creeping up her cheeks before she could stop it, remembering the dashing blonde_ idiot _that Dumbledore had brought along to her father's house, whom had set the teacup aflame. "We can actually meet him!" She squealed, not truly as pleased as she tried to be, "He wrote half the book list this year!" She added as Harry and Ron had given her perturbed looks. The line was comprised mostly of middle aged witches, much to the displeasure of all three, as it meant there was far too much squealing in hushed tones. They squeezed inside, past the tired old wizard at the door, charged with keeping the line of witches in order. The line, which had seemed terribly long from the outside, stretched all the way to the back of the shop, Hermione raised her eyebrow at the line, for why on _earth_ would anyone wait in that to see the (admittedly gorgeous) buffoon? None the less, she followed the boys lead and grabbed a copy of_ Break with a banshee _(one of the books on their list,) and snuck up to where they could see the rest of the Weasley's waiting in line.

Hermione was relieved to find Jane and David with the Weasley clan, arms full of books, including an extra set of the books by Gildroy Lockhart in her mother's arms. She'd had a feeling Jane might like the outlandish author. Or at least, the picture on the back cover of his books. "Oh there you are!" Molly Weasley gushed, spotting the trio, her own arms overloading with books for her children and Harry, "We'll be able to see him in just a minute!" Hermione could help but sigh dejectedly at the enthusiasm, but as Harry and Ron stiffened on either side of her, she had a feeling they thought it had been a dreamy sigh. Boys; bloody idiots.

After a few minutes they rounded the corner and saw the dashing, debonair, moronic, blonde man smiling like his life depended on it, signing a book with some dribble about his 'biggest fan.' After a particularly bright flash of light, which blinded Hermione, the outlandish author looked up and gasped dramatically. Hermione panicked for a moment, thinking he remembered her, but was insanely relieved when he rushed to shake hands with Harry, whom was just off to her right. "It can't be, Harry Potter?" Lockhart was practically salivating, Hermione noticed as she inched away from the man who was wearing entirely too-blue robes, as he proceeded to throw his arm around Harry's shoulders and direct the view of his photographer towards them.

Hermione let her gaze wander as the camera flashed again, and her eyes fell on Draco Malfoy, whom was scowling and answering his father's questions, as the tall dastardly blonde man gestured in the direction of her parents. She strained to hear the words that Lucius Malfoy was spitting at his son, and managed to only pick up on what appeared to be an insult at herself, "..._filthy mudbloods, ruining Hogwarts. That'll end soon enough, if I have anything to do with it_." She ventured to guess that the man did not remember attacking her in the park. She turned her attention back to her Gryffindor friends before she could be caught looking, and saw Harry tipping a set of books into Ginny's cauldron. "You can have these, I'll buy my own set." He was blushing furiously from being embarrassed by Lockhart, and Hermione let a smile tug on her lips. By all rights, Harry ought to have been at least as big a braggart as Draco was, but he was practically mister modesty. She rather admired that about him sometimes. Although, she liked Draco's self confidence as well.

Gildroy had not yet stopped speaking though, and Hermione nearly chocked on her spit as his words filtered through her brain. Lockhart, the idiot who lit a tea cup on fire, was going to be their new defense against the dark arts teacher. She didn't even have a chance to express her opinion before she saw Malfoy swagger over to Harry and Ginny, with his father not far behind. Oh joy. She made her way in their direction quickly, tugging Ron behind her. "Bet you _loved_ that, didn't you Potter?" Draco hissed, silently wishing that Hermione wouldn't come any closer, "Can't even go to a book shop without making front page." Harry looked about ready to hit Malfoy then and there, but was cut off by a blushing Ginny, who glared at the blonde boy and firmly said "Leave him alone! He didn't want all that."

Hermione groaned as she and Ron placed themselves on either side of Harry, the boy-who-lived, and the forever-trouble-magnet. Draco made a sneering comment about Ginny being Harry's girlfriend, which Ron tried to meet with a retort, but it didn't end in his favour. Ron never came out on top where Draco Malfoy was concerned. Ron attempted to lunge at the smug Slytherin, but Harry and Hermione grabbed onto the back of his jacket, and while the boys were preoccupied, she shot a small glare at Draco, who just glared right back. She heard the step behind her and before she knew it, Ron's father and her adoptive parents were right behind her and the boys. "Ron! What are you doing? It's mad in here , let's go outside." Fred and George weren't too far behind their father either.

The elder Malfoy's eyes landed on Arthur Weasley and the two fully grown men began shooting off thinly veiled insults back and forth. Hermione suddenly found herself missing the peace and quiet of Spinner's End. She allowed the adult's conversation to sink in as she watched the middle aged Lucius pluck an old second-hand book out of Ginny's cauldron with a snide comment about overtime pay. Lucius' eyes fell past Arthur, upon Hermione's muggle parents, whom stood out vibrantly against the rest of the crowded shop, "Dear me, what's the use of being a disgrace to the name of wizard if they don't even pay you well for it." The sneer on his face made them all uneasy, "We have a very different idea about what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy." Arthur growled, and she wondered if maybe they ought to let go of Ron and hold his father back instead.

"Clearly." Lucius drawled, his eyes still glued to her parents, "The company you keep, Weasley...and I thought your family could sink no lower-" The snide blonde man was cut off as Arthur Weasley lunged at him, sending Ginny's cauldron spinning to the ground. It was pandemonium watching the two adults fight, knocking over book shelves, with Fred and George cheering on from the side while the rest of them dodged the heavy books that were tumbling down. The small shop keeper tried to step in, but no progress was made in halting the fight until Hagrid appeared and pulled the men apart by the scruff of their necks. Arthur was bleeding from his lip, glaring heavily at Lucius, whom was sporting a black eye. The elder Malfoy sneered and threw the tattered book he had plucked from Ginny's cauldron back at the young girl, "Here girl. This is the best your father can give you." And as fast as he could pull himself from Hagrid's grip, he was gone, and so was Draco.

Hermione left, knowing that the rest of the group wouldn't be far behind. She was grateful to step out into the fresh air, but felt a head ache coming on as she spotted her father in the apothecary, chatting with Julie, and watching her intently. She had a sneaking suspicion she was going to be explaining the whole event over dinner that evening.

* * *

><p>Hermione was sitting in the guest bedroom of her parent's home, going through all of her boxes, sorting out the things she hadn't touched since the year before. She had out grown most of her clothes now, and her shoes as well. The box she was currently going through contained various cd's and cassette tapes, along with a few posters from her old room. With a sigh she decided to bring the box with her. Surely there would be a way for her to bewitch her stereo to work inside of Hogwarts, and if she couldn't, perhaps her father could. She folded up the box and set it beside her trunk before opening a new one. Inside was a photo album from her childhood. It was filled to the brim with pictures of Julie taking care of her, and its most recent addition was the moving picture of her biological mother and father, which had been given a place on the first page. She placed the album on her trunk with a smile.<p>

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><p>End chapter three!<p> 


	4. Boys Will Be Boys

A girl named Hermione Granger: Year Two

Chapter Four: Boys will be boys

Disclaimer: Yeah.

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><p>Hermione boarded the Hogwarts express, searching for her Gryffindor friends, but soon found herself at the door of Draco Malfoy's compartment instead. She knocked hesitantly, and was mildly relieved to see his face light up with a smile instead of a smirk. "Well, well, well, Granger. Your boy toys kick you out?" He drawled, leaning casually against the door frame for the compartment. She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, "They're not my boy toys. And I can't find them. Can I sit with you guys?" She nodded towards where Crabbe and Goyle were sitting behind him. His grey eyes followed her movement, and she saw panic flash across his face as he quickly shut the door to the compartment behind himself. "Er, no. You can't." He said quietly.<p>

She raised her eyebrows and scoffed, "Well why not?" "My father was in a rage when we got back from Diagon Ally, and sort of...ordered me to..." He trailed off as she gave him a flat look and crossed her arms, "What? You've met my father -er, well, sort of - he hates muggles and muggleborns. And he recognized your name from the grades you received last year, and he-" Hermione scoffed as her friend rambled on. "Oh I get it alright. Because I'm not from some pureblood family -" "Well, you almost are," Draco interrupted, but was ignored, "-You can't be my friend, and you're going to have to start treating me the way you treat my friends." She stomped her foot down and turned on her heel, "Nice to see what friendship means in Slytherin, you know." She walked away, ignoring as he called out after her.

Before long she stumbled across Ginny and a girl with long blonde hair that reminded her slightly of Draco. "Hi, Ginny, do you mind if I sit here? I can't find the boys anywhere." The young girl with long red hair gave her a smile and gesture to the open seat beside her, "Sure. Hermione, right?" The older girl nodded, "This is Luna Lovegood, she's starting this year too." Ginny introduced them, and Hermione was rather thankful that the two girls were not feeling very chatty. The long train ride was rather quiet, although Hermione caught Draco's eyes every time he walked by the cabin she was sitting in, she refused to get up and speak to him like she knew he was waiting for.

* * *

><p>By the time the feast had started, Hermione was a nervous wreck. She had not yet seen Harry, Ron, or even her father. She vaguely entertained the idea that the boys had gotten into trouble on the train, and were escorted off by a professor, but she figured that the news would have probably spread to her by now. She let her eyes drift as the sorting began, and she found herself focusing on Draco, who looked bloody miserable. Pansy noticed her looking, and she was met by glares from all of the second year Slytherin's. Hermione sniffed and looked away, crossing her arms. As if it was <em>her<em> fault that Draco was going to be a spoiled daddy's suck up, and ditch her because the man told him she was beneath them. She wasn't even, and it didn't make a difference to her if she were muggleborn or pureblood, or even half blood as the case may be. "GRYFFINDOR!" The sorting hat's shout drew her attention back up to the front, where she saw Ginny pull off the enchanted hat, beaming.

The table burst into cheers, and as the rest of the first years were sorted, with a few sent to each house, Hermione felt two glares in particular from the Slytherin table, which never wavered. Half way though the feast Hermione spotted her father take his place at the teacher's table, looking as though he had just sucked a lemon, as Dumbledore slapped him on the shoulder jovially, and she knew that, without a doubt, Harry and Ron had broken another rule. And probably gotten away with much less punishment than they ought to have. Assured that she would still have at least some of her friends come the morning, she tucked in and began eating enthusiastically.

By the end of dessert, rumours were floating around that the dynamic duo had crashed a flying car into a tree that decided to hit back. Hermione secured the newest password for Gryffindor tower before dashing off to try and find the boys. It took her a while, and on the way she took a wrong turn and had to back track because of a staircase that had chosen to move from left to right. When she found the boys they were standing outside of the fat lady's portrait, and she decided to have some fun and scold them. "There you are! You have no idea the crazy rumors I've heard - they say you've been expelled for crashing a flying car into a tree!" Harry and Ron gave her a weak smile, "Well, we haven't been expelled." Harry said reassuringly, and she gaped. Rumors were one thing, but to actually have done it? "You're not telling me you _did_ fly here?" She was sure she looked about as strict as McGonagall, but was too flustered to pretend to be indifferent.

Ron impatiently asked for the password, which she stated without hesitation, "Wattlebird." And her chance to scold the much-too-proud-of-themselves boys was interrupted by thunderous applause. All of Gryffindor tower was waiting in the common room, cheering as Harry and Ron clambered awkwardly through the portrait hole. They found themselves being tugged in by arms when they weren't moving fast enough, and Hermione felt slightly hurt as she tried to get in before the portrait was shut. She had only just scrambled inside, ignored by everyone, when the portrait closed, and whacked her in the back. Adulation's were thrown about by positively everyone, and Hermione was reminded of the bitter jealousy she'd held the year before for Harry and Ron's penchant for avoiding real punishment. She was scowling by the time Harry shouted a good night over his shoulder, and she knew that he and Ron were trying avoid being scolded by Percy.

She stormed up to her dormitory and dug through her trunk until she found her photo album, then she sat on her bed and drew the curtains. Satisfied she wouldn't be bothered, she opened the album and stared at the picture of her mother and father. The more she looked at it, the more she wondered about the sort of relationship they had had. Her father -in the photo- stubbornly refused to allow Kathrine to place his hand on her pregnant stomach. Granted, she could see the tiny little, nearly invisible, smile on his lips, but she had to wonder, was he being stubborn in a playful way? Or had he truly held no interest in the unborn child that was her, and smirking because he was annoying her mother? He never seemed too affectionate. He always seemed more vindictive; though he was there to comfort her, when she had needed it this summer.

"Questions, so many questions." She mumbled to herself, flipping the pages until she found a picture of herself and Julie at the zoo when she had been five. "What questiones, Hermione?" Lavender's voice startled the bushy haired Gryffindor into falling off her bed with a squeak. "N-nothing, Lavender! I was just...um...going over the summer homework!" She shoved her photo album underneath her matress and the blonde girl gave her a disbelieving look. "Right." Her tone clearly stated that she didn't believe her room mate, but Hermione didn't really care, and scrambled back onto her bed frantically, "It's been a long day, good night Lavender!" She drew the curtains shut and dove under her covers, still in her uniform.

She laid there, awake, until she heard Pavarti come in, and she listened to their gossip without interest. Just when she was ready to turn over and give in to sleep, she heard something she really didn't like. "I heard over the summer, that some loony wizard attacked Hermione in a park." Parvati's voice was excited, as she had no doubt only just recalled the information. "What!" Lavender squealed, and was shushed by Parvati. "I heard from my aunt, she works at the ministry you know, and she said the Minister for Magic himself told her that Snape," There was a loud gasp here from Lavender, "had saved Hermione and her older sister from the man! But he escaped." Silence fell for a moment, and Hermione just new they were staring in the direction of her bed. "Wow, no wonder she seemed so rattled! I spoke to her just before you came in, and she dove for her bed like I was brandinshing a wand in her face!" The two girls burst into giggles at her expense, and the brunette felt the familiar wish to be in the Slytherin dorms. Too bad they hated her now.

* * *

><p>Hermione, feeling rather unimpressed by her housemates blabbering the night before, had spent the entirety of breakfast with her face hidden inside of <em>Voyages with vampires<em>, although she felt a little bad for Harry and Ron when the howler from Ron's mother showed up and exploded in the middle of breakfast. When they got their time tables, she was relieved to find that she did not have double potions first thing. As they were leaving the hall, she heard the Slytherin's snickering about something, and she had a good idea what, so she took pity on the boys, and decided to drop the subject with them. For their part, Harry and Ron seemed pleased that she was no longer trying to scold them, and they even had the decency to look ashamed as they came to the green houses and found Professor Sprout with Professor Lockhart, and the whomping willow covered in bandages.

Lockhart spotted them and began a conceited rant about how fabulous he was, and how he'd been showing Sprout how to mend the tree, and Hermione bit her tongue to keep from calling him an idiot. They were ushered into green house three by a rather irritated looking Professor Sprout a few minutes later, and they were forced to leave Harry behind with Lockhart. Hermione couldn't help but feel lucky that the debonair blonde had yet to recognize her. She had no doubt that he would probably try and make a fuss about the incident, especially since she had been in a professor's home, over the summer break no less. The lesson didn't begin until Harry had taken his seat, as usual, in between Ron and Hermione. "Alright class, today we'll be re-potting Mandrakes."

The class ended without much incident, and Gryffindor was up twenty points. And Hermione's mood was much better than it had been. During the class they'd paired up with Justin Finch-Fletchly, a second year Hufflepuff, and he'd been incredibly friendly to all three of them. It was the first time she'd been acknowledged by another student for her brilliance, and she couldn't help but let her ego inflate a bit. It had been mildly frustrating that he had apparently decided to look up to Lockhart, after having read his books, (although Hermione found herself rather fond of the Lockhart in the books, if not the real one,) but it was nice to be acknowledged all the same.

When they sat down in Transfiguration, Hermione saw for the first time that Ron's wand was being held together by spellotape. She edged as far away as she could at their desk, praying that he didn't accidentally transfigure her instead. By the end of the lesson she had a whole handful of coat buttons, which they had been transfiguring beetles into today. She pulled out her schedule as they made their way to lunch, and it was snatched out of her hands by Ron, who'd already lost his own. "Just why've you outlined all Lockhart's lessons with hearts?" He asked loudly, drawing the attention of a large number of nearby students. Hermione snatched it back with a furious blush, "Shut up Ron." She hissed, burying her face in _Voyages with vampires _for the whole meal, trying to figure out who drew on her timetable, and how they hell they'd gotten their hands on it. After they finished eating, they went outside to enjoy the mild weather, and were approached by a mousy little boy with a camera. Hermione vaguely remembered the first year boy from the sorting the night before, and she knew as soon as she saw how red his face was, that he would probably join the small fan club Harry was amassing (not that Harry really seemed to know of it.)

He introduced himself as Colin Creevey, and he rambled on about how he would like to have photo to send home to his father, whom was a milkman, and as he proceeded to ask if Ron would take the picture, Hermione saw Malfoy approaching out of the corner of her eye. Then Colin asked if Harry would sign the photo, and all hell broke loose as Malfoy found the ammunition he'd come searching for. "_Signed photos_? You're giving out _signed_ photo's, Potter?" His snarky voice boomed through the courtyard, and Hermione resisted the urge to throw her book at the Slytherin. Crabbe and Goyle were flanked behind him, and sneering at her the way Pansy had the night before, as Malfoy drew a crowd and taunted Harry about Colin's request. "No I'm not! Shut up Malfoy!" Harry was seething, and Colin (bless him) decided to stick up for his hero and accused Malfoy of being _jealous_. Hermione silently promised to ensure the boys tombstone was very nice, as she saw the anger flash across Draco's face.

"Jealous? Of what? That foul scar? I don't think having your head cut open is anything special." Draco sneered, causing his two croonies to laugh; Hermione too, fought to keep her own chuckle inside. No matter how she tried, she still kind of found the snarky boy funny, even when he was being mean to her friends. Ron, however, was not amused. "Eat slugs Malfoy." He hissed, his face so red with anger it nearly matched his hair. Crabbe stopped laughing to crack his knuckles menacingly behind Malfoy and Hermione resigned her reading as a lost cause, and prepared herself to intervene as Malfoy made a few jibes at Ron about his family. When she saw Ron whip out his broken wand, she lowered her book and hissed "Look out!" For Lockhart had spotted the scuffle and was coming their way; and idiot or not, he _was_ still a professor.

Ten very embarrassing minutes later, Hermione and Ron were walking into the defense against the dark arts classroom, not speaking to each other. They sat on either side of Harry,a nd Hermione refused to so much as look at Ron, whom had had the nerve to accuse her of wanting to get a copy of the photo from Colin. "You'd better hope Colin doesn't meet Ginny," Ron snickered as they sat down, "they'll be starting a Harry Potter fan club." Hermione very nearly commented as Harry told the redhead to shut up, however she managed to hold her tongue; Harry didn't _really_ need to find out he already had a fan club in a crowded classroom after all. Her silence reigned as Lockhart introduced himself to the class, bragging about his many achievements (half of which Hermione wondered about very seriously,) and he pulled out a large stack of parchment. "I thought we'd start today with a little quiz. Nothing to worry about - just to check how well you've read the books, and how much you've taken in."

As the test landed in front of her, Hermione raised an eyebrow. The test was three pages long and, she checked, double sided; all questions about frivolous details Hermione was sure she wouldn't have remembered, if she didn't have her near photographic memory. "You have thirty minutes, start - NOW!" Not one to take a test lightly, even one as ridiculous as this, Hermione dipped her quill into her inkwell and filled out every answer with her loopy handwriting. And when, half an hour later, Lockhart gathered the tests, she wasn't surprised to find she was the only one to receive full marks. She listened to his ramblings with rapt attention, ignoring the snickering boys around her, and blushed when he asked her to raise her hand. "Where is Miss Hermione Granger?" She raised her hand, shaking slightly, as his blue eyes fell upon her and he flashed her a dashing smile. "Quite excellent! Take ten points for Gryffindor, and see me after class please, Miss Granger."

She felt the glares of several girls, including her gossiping room mates, but ignored them as Lockhart placed a covered cage on his desk. He informed them he would be showing them the horror's of the worlds, but not to fear as he would ensure their safety in his class. Hermione snorted at this, and quickly covered it with a cough as Harry and Ron both turned to look at her. "I must ask you not to scream." Lockhart's voice was low, and half the class shivered as he grasped the cloth covering the cage, "It might provoke them." He whipped off the cloth and declared the creatures inside to be "Freshly caught Cornish Pixies." Seamus burst out laughing, and the flustered teacher opened the cage, and all hell broke loose. Within minutes, Neville was dangling from the candelabra, the back row of the class had been covered in shards of glass, and the rest of the classroom was being torn up. Several of the more lucky students ran out of the class as Lockhart attempted to rectify the situation by shouting out "_Peskipiksi Pesternomi_!"

The only effect it appeared to have, was to annoy the pixies, as they stole his wand and tossed it out the window. He looked around nervously, and flashed a grin at the only three remaining Gryffindor's, "Right. I'll just ask you three to nip the rest into the cage. Granger, don't forget to stay behind!" He ducked into his office, and Hermione seethed. "Can you believe him?" Ron roared as he ducked some swooping pixies, only to be bit in the ear. "He's just giving us a bit of hands on experience." She replied, sarcasm biting in her voice, which Harry and Ron seemed to have missed. "Hands on? Hermione he didn't have a clue what he was doing!" Harry shouted, attempting to grab a particularly pesky pixie. "Rubbish." Agin, she was being sarcastic, "You've read his books, look at all the things he's done!" "He says he's done." Ron piped up as she finished. "What ever, that's the last of them," She said with a frown as they finally got the last pixie back in its cage. "You two go on, I'll catch up." She ushered them out of the room, ignoring Ron's whispered taunt as he called her a teacher's pet.

As soon as the boys were gone, she made her way to the office at the back of the classroom and knocked on the door. "Er, Professor, we've finished. You wanted to see me?" The door opened a crack and she could tell he was checking to make sure the pixies were actually in their cage, before he opened it wide and flashed a smile at her. "Ah yes, Miss Granger, please step into my office. Tea?" She shook her head as she took a seat in front of his large, gaudy desk which was covered in vibrant pictures of himself, "No thank you Professor." He merely chuckled and took his seat behind his desk. "I though I'd recognized you, my dear." He said cheerily, leaning forward to place his elbows on the desk, and fold his hands under his chin. "You are the young girl who was attacked this summer, am I correct?"

She sighed in frustration, though he seemed to think it was a sigh of despair, "Yes. M-er, The potions master, Professor Snape rescued my sister and I." She caught herself before she identified Snape as her father, having a suspicion that Dumbledore had not divulged the secret to the newest Professor. "Ah yes, wonderful chap, isn't he? But prey tell, what was he doing in a muggle park so late at night?" She frowned at this and crossed her arms, so the idiot did think something inappropriate had occurred. "I promise that I do not know that." She answered bitingly, but was surprised to see him continue to smile. "Relax, Miss Granger, I don't mean to insult your views of your hero," "_Father_," she corrected in her mind, not daring to say it out loud, "I was merely curious. I've been told that if there should ever be any problems with you, to report them to Professor Snape. I assume this is a favour to your parent's." She kept her face impassive as he spoke, he seemed to be slightly more clever than he let on in public. "Yes. My father was so grateful, it's really his request. He worries too much about me when I am away." She lied smoothly, allowing a meek smile to grace her lips, at which the debonair man nodded kindly. "Well, should you have any troubles you wish to discuss with faculty, without them returning to your father," she almost snickered here, "you may come see me anytime. My doors are always open for those in need. However, I'm sure a clever girl like you should have no such problems. You best head off now Miss Granger." He scribbled out a note for her and sent her on her way. As soon as she was in the hall, she frowned again. He was obviously rather nosy, and she was going to have to be quite careful. He could be as dangerous as Quirrell had been.

* * *

><p>Hermione woke up well before dawn on the first Saturday after the start of term, she'd heard the whole Quidditch team stomping down the boy's stairwell, and the nagging voice of what could only be Colin Creevey, pestering Harry. She reached under her mattress and pulled out her photo album, as she had when ever she couldn't sleep, and flipped it open to study the only wizarding photo in it. She lost herself in the old picture, staring at it as though it would suddenly reveal some new piece of information. She was broken out of her reverie by an owl tapping at the window to her dormitory. She closed the book in her lap and padded over to the window, throwing it open to find Archie. "Well hello there Archie. Who's this from, hm?" She held out her hand and the tawny owl settled onto it like a perch. She closed the window before taking the letter, and dug around in her personal night stand for a treat. "Here you are, Archie." She whispered affectionately as the owl moved to her shoulder so she could open the mysterious letter.<p>

_Come down to the Quidditch pitch, I want to speak with you. -DM_

She gaped at the note and didn't move for several moments. This was, aside from her letters from home, the first time she'd actually had a signed piece of mail. "Oh, should I go Archie?" She turned to look her owl in the eye, and he hooted softly before nuzzling her cheek. "Well, he's certainly won your love, hasn't he?" She asked, a grin slowly melting over her features. She transferred her owl to the head board of her bed and dressed quickly, throwing her cloak over top her jumper and jeans. "Alright, you'd best go back to the owlery. I'll come visit later, okay?" She opened the window and as soon as Archie was gone, she left the room. She hurried down to the Quidditch pitch and found Draco skulking alone behind the Slytherin dressing rooms. When he saw her coming she swore she saw a smile flicker across his face.

"You came." He sounded amazed, she noted, "Of course I did. Look, Draco, I feel awful." She twisted her fingers together and felt her cheeks heat up as he shook his head, "Don't. You had every right to be upset. I don't have much time, but I want to apologize in advance." His eyes darted around, and fell back on her as he decided the coast was clear, "I'm sorry about the first day back, too. But promise you won't get mad at me, no matter what I say in about an hour?" She felt dread bubble up, if he was apologizing ahead of time, just what kind of nasty thing was he doing? She stayed quiet and for the first time, she took notice of what he was wearing. "You made the Slytherin team?" She asked increadulously, remembering his rant earlier in the summer about how he was being forced to train as a seeker over the summer. However, she recalled him saying he didn't like it. "Sort of. Father made them take me. Look, that's not important. Promise you won't be mad."

She sighed and crossed her arms defensively, "I can't promise that. I can promise to forgive you though. For what, I can't imagine-" "My father saw your muggle parent's and he sort of, insulted you to all of the other purebloods before school started. So everyone got in trouble, and we can't be indifferent to you anymore." He cut her off, and when he stoppe speaking he was red in the face. She frowned, "You're going to have to call me nasty things, like 'mudblood', aren't you?" He nodded, with a wince. "Well, I guess...I guess that's ok. But, you can't get mad if I retaliate. Ron and I get into spats a lot, and if I talk back to him, and not you, they're going to think something's up." By now the sun was beginning to rise, and Draco grew antsy, "I have to go. See you later, 'mione." He gave her a quick, and awkward, pat on the shoulder and dashed off. And less then a minute later, Ron showed up. "Heard Harry had practice today too? Come on, we can watch together!" The red head dragged her off merrily, seeming far too cheerful, and she allowed it, so she could think on Draco's words. If Jane and David hadn't accompanied her to Diagon Alley, she would probably still have the Slytherin's as friends.

Still, she couldn't regret it, she decided, as they watched the Gryffindor team walk out of their locker room, with Colin not too far from where they were seated. All at once, things went drastically downhill. The Slytherin team entered the field almost at the same time as the Gryffindor's, and Hermione found herself running onto the field after Ron. As they approached, she managed to make out that Slytherin had come to swipe the field, to train Draco. She bit her lip as Draco and the Slytherin's flaunted their new brooms (she now understood how he had been forced onto the team,) in the face of the Gyrffindor team. When the Slytherin's howled with laughter at one of Draco's snide remarks, she threw herself into the argument, "At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to buy their way in," she hated the words as they came out, but she knew Draco understood, "_they _got in on pure talent." She mentally winced, awaiting his rebuttal as his smug smirk flickered. "No one asked your opinion, you filthy little mudblood." He spat at her, and this time she really did wince.

The Gryffindor's were quick to action, and Marcus Flint, the Slytherin team captain, dove in front of Draco so that Fred and George couldn't jump him. "How _dare _you!" Ron hissed angrily, (she wondered if he was angry on her behalf, or just looking for the excuse to attack anyway,) ripping his damaged wand from inside his robes. "You'll pay for that one, Malfoy!" He yelled, pointing his wand at Malfoy's face, under Flint's arm. She only had a split second to act as she realized Ron really was going to curse Draco, and she muttered "_Protego_." under her breath, praying it would work, and then there was a loud bang. The spell had rebounded, and Ron was doubled over on the grass, she dove down beside him worried, "Ron! Are you okay?" Her answer came when he belched out a mouthful of slugs, and splattered her robes with the slime. The Slytherin team began laughing so hard, she was surprised they were still standing. This was perhaps the first time she hadn't wanted to laugh along with Draco, and she supposed it was because she was the one covered in slime with Ron.

By the time she and Harry hauled Ron up between them, Flint was using his broom for support, and Malfoy was on his hands and knees, laughing and banging his fist on the ground. She was angry as they rushed Ron towards Hagrid's, and unfortunately she took it out on Colin. Well, that is to say, she didn't stop Harry from being rude to the boy as he tried to catch a picture of Ron burping up slugs. "Hang on Ron, we're nearly there." She assured the ill looking red head, feeling rather awful about sabotaging him. She supposed, though, it was in his best interest. Imagine the scandal if he'd cursed another student successfully! "Nearly there, You'll be alright in a minute..." The gamekeeper's cabin came into view and she sighed in relief. Until Gildroy Lockhart stepped out of Hagrid's cabin, and they had to duck behind a nearby bush. The dashing Professor was wearing mauve robes today, and seemed to be trying to push his nose into Hagrid's job, the way he had Professor Sprout's. "It's a simple matter really, if you know what you're doing." He beamed, offering to help should the large man decide he needed it. Even going so far as to promise to send over a signed copy of one of his books.

As soon as Lockhart was out of sight, Harry motioned for her to help him get Ron out of the bush, when he was hunched over. They knocked loudly on the door of Hagrid's cabin, and the gamekeeper appeared immediately, looking rather grumpy at first. "Bin' wonderein' when you'd come ter see me - come in, come in - though you might'a bin' Professor Lockhart back again." He ushered them in cheerily, and the two dragged Ron's, rather limp, body into to cabin, where Hagrid was all too happy to help. He wasn't disturbed in the least as Harry rushed to explain what had happened, although he did shoot a suspicious glance at Hermione, who tried very hard not to look guilty. The large man just placed a large copper basin in front of the red haired boy and chuckled, "Better out than in." As the pasty boy expelled a few more slugs. "Get 'em all up Ron."

"I don't think there's much else you can do." Hermione said anxiously, hoping to be proven wrong, but had no such luck as Hagrid just shrugged. "That's a difficult curse to work at the best of times, but with a broken wand..." She trailed off as she got another suspicious glance from the gamekeeper. For a moment there was silence as Fang, the lovely, cowardly boar hound, slobbered all over Harry's lap, leaving him a bigger mess than either Ron or Hermione. "What did Lockhart want with you Hagrid?" Harry asked out of the blue, remembering the daft Professor's show of leaving the cabin. Hagrid banged down the teapot in his hands and grumbled, "Wanted ter tell me how ter get kelpies out of a well; as if I didn' know already. An' bangin' on about some banshee he banished. If one word of it was true, I'll eat my kettle." Hermione silently agreed with the last bit. She had her own serious doubts about the contents of his books. While she generally took books at face value, there was something fishy about the dashing blonde.

However, she knew what the boys expecting, and in a voice that was a little higher than she usually used, "I think you're being a bit unfair...surely Dumbledore thought he was the best man for the job-" "He was the on'y man for the job." Hagrid cut in, and she sighed as he continued to stress his point, while Ron coughed into the basin some more. "So, who was he tryin' ter curse?" The gamekeeper asked, changing the subject before he could be questioned about the 'supposed curse' of the defense against the dark arts position. Harry answered this time, "Malfoy called Hermione something. It must've been really bad, becasue everyone went mad." Hermione smiled softly, but ducked her head to make sure her hair hid the smile from view. "It was bad." Ron croaked feebly, surfacing from the basin a moment. He was pale and sweaty, and Hermione felt even worse, "Malfoy called her 'Mudblood', Hagrid -" His head sunk back in the basin and Hermione watched the giant go purple in the face. "He didn'!" He demanded, looking at the now rather embarrassed girl.

"He did." She replied, biting her lip before adding, "I don't know what it means though." Which, was a lie, but they didn't need to know that. "I could tell it was really rude of course." She added hastily, and Ron resurfaced again, gasping, "It's probably the rudest thing he could think of. Mudblood's a really foul name for someone who was muggleborn," he paused to retch up another slug, "you know, non magical parents. There are some wizards -like Malfoy's family- who think they're better than everyone else, because they're pureblood." He burped again, and a tiny slug fell into his hand, which he threw into the basin. "The rest of us know it doesn't make a difference. Look at Neville. He's pureblood, and he can hardly stand a cauldron the right way up." Hagrid was nodding along with everything Ron said, looking Hermione in the eyes as he did so, "An' they haven't invented a spell our Hermione can't do!" He said triumphantly, although she wanted to point out she wasn't even muggle born, so it didn't really matter.

"Well, I s'ppose it's a good thing yer wand backfired," Hagrid said comfortingly to Ron, while shooting a sideways glance at Hermione, "I 'spect Lucius Malfoy woulda marched up to the school if yeh'd cursed his son." The large man seemed to decide a change of topic was in order after that, as he turned to Harry demanding to know why he hadn't received a signed photo. Harry, who had been wrestling with some of the treacle fudge Hagrid had offered them earlier, wrenched his mouth open and insisted he was not handing out signed photo's and began cursing the obnoxious Professor Lockhart for spewing lies, when Hagrid burst out laughing. "I was on'y jokin'. I knew yeh hadn't really. I told Lockhart yeh didn't need teh. Yer more famous than him without tryin'." He slapped Harry on the back, and sent the boy crashing into the table in front of him. Hermione tuned out their banter about the Professor in favour of reminding herself that she had done Ron a favour, and she shouldn't feel as guilty as she did. In the end, as they were ushered out into the school's vegetable patch, she vowed to be extra nice and help Ron with his homework without complaint for a week.

There was a dozen or so of the largest pumpkins any of the three had ever seen, growing quite happily. "What've you been feeding them?" Harry asked in awe as Hagrid boasted about how they'd be ready for the Halloween feast. Hagrid leaned in close to them after ensuring they were alone and nodded towards a large flowery pink umbrella, "Bin' given' 'em a bit o' help." He whispered. Hermione saw Harry's eyes dawn in understanding, and assumed that this was the same umbrella he'd used to give Harry's cousin the pigs tail. "An engorgement charm, I suppose?" She asked, taking in the sheer size of the pumpkins. He nodded and she extended some congratulations on how ell they were looking. "Tha's what yer sister said," He turned to Ron suddenly, "Met her yesterday." He shot a sideways glance at Harry and grinned, "Said she was jus' lookin' round the grounds, but I reckon she was hopin' ter run inter someone else at my house." By now his grin was fully visible through his big bushy beard and his eyes were crinkled with mirth as he winked at the blushing seeker for Gryffindor, "If yeh ask me, she wouldn' say no ter a signed -" Harry cut him off with a rather dejected "Oh shut up." At which Ron burst out laughing, and sprayed the ground with a wave of slugs. Hagrid pulled the red head away from his precious pumpkins and they decided it was probably time to head up for lunch.

Hermione spent that evening in the library with Ginny, as the boys had been assigned their detentions for the incident with the flying car for that evening. Ginny left early though, and Hermione stayed at the back table, writing a list of things she could try ot do for Ron, to make up for casting a shield spell in front of his curse. Her original intention had been to work on an essay for potions, which was due the next day, but even the looming threat of her father picking on her in another class, couldn't draw her attentions away from her guilt. Thankfully, the scroll was already a foot over what he'd asked for. She sighed and packed her bag up, knowing she'd need to at least try and get some sleep before facing double-potions with the Slytherin's (who would undoubtedly be calling her names the entire time.) As she made her way back to the dorms before curfew, she couldn't help continuously looking over her shoulder, feeling as though she were being followed.

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><p>End chapter four!<p>

I wish I'd had more time to re-read this, but oh well. Cute Dramione moment!


	5. The Chamber Of Secrets

A girl named Hermione Granger: Year Two

Chapter Five: The Chamber of Secrets

Disclaimer: You already know.

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><p>October came quickly enough, and a nasty cold began to spread around the school, Hermione secretly thought that the Quidditch teams were to blame, as all four house teams spent hours outside practicing on the most dreary days. And it was on one of these particularly dreary days that Harry stumbled, covered head to toe in mud, into the common room and informed Ron and Hermione that he had promised the resident Gryffindor ghost, sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington (more commonly referred to as nearly headless Nick,) that they would attend his death-day party on Halloween. Hermione, despite being angry that she was now going to miss her second Halloween feast on behalf of Harry and Ron, kept her opinion to herself. The rest of the night was spent with the brilliant distraction of Fred and George feeding filibuster fireworks to some fire dwelling salamanders they had 'rescued' from Care for Magical Creatures; and Percy shouting himself silly at them.<p>

By the time Halloween arrived, Hermione was constantly reminding Harry of his promise to Nick, more out of spite towards him and Ron (whom had fallen out of the grace of her pity when he scribbled all over her DADA books,) constantly reminding him that "A promise is a promise." So, at seven pm exactly, they turned away from the Halloween feast in the great hall (she was certain she would be in trouble for that come morning,) and they headed down to the dungeons, where the death-day party was being held. The dreary room was ice cold as they stepped in, and Hermione cursed herself for being friends with Harry and Ron at the moment. If she'd just managed to row with them, she could have gotten out of this, and been enjoying a delicious feast. Instead of watching Ron accidentally insult several ghostly guests. It turned ghastly when they bumped into Peeves, and he felt the need to draw Myrtle's attention to them. Needless to say, Hermione felt like a right cow as the squat ghost of a girl floated away through the wall, blubbering as Peeves pelted her with moldy peanuts.

The trio left shortly after the arrival of the headless hunt, and they hurried on the way to the entrance hall, hoping that pudding might still be on the table. Hermione and Ron were several feet ahead when they notice Harry had frozen in place. They ventured to ask what was wrong, but he hissed for them to be quiet and took off down the hall, after surmising that neither of them could hear the hissing voice from inside the wall. Hermione was twice as terrified as Ron as they jogged to keep up with the black haired boy, who rather abruptly, stopped in the middle of a hall on the second floor, his ear pressed firmly to the wall. "Harry, what was that all about?" Ron panted as he came to a stop just behind his friend, and Hermione nearly ploughed into both of them. "Look!" She wheezed, pointing furiously down the hall, the were there was a great puddle of water and a shimmering, shining something on the wall. As they slowly got closer, they realized it was large writing on the wall, in blood. Hermione suddenly felt very cold as her eyes dragged across the dripping letters.

_**THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED.**_

_**ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE**_

Ron was the first to look down, and with a quivering voice, he drew their eyes down as well. Hanging from a torch bracket, as if dead, underneath the words, was the stiff form of Filch's cat, Mrs. Norris. "Let's get out of here." Ron's voice sent chills down her spine, and Hermione couldn't help but to agree. Harry mumbled something about trying to help, he seemed to be in shock, but Ron ushered him to move. It was too late. The feast had ended and the loud echoing footsteps of hundreds of students and teachers was just around the corner. Even if they ran, they'd never get out of sight in time.

The cheerful voices that accompanied the many feet stopped dead as people turned the corner and saw them. Hermione swallowed hard, feeling like she was drowning in the silence, until she heard a familiar voice shout out "Enemies of heir beware! You'll be next, _Mudblood's_!" Her eyes drifted over to the blonde boy, and she noticed he had pushed his way to the front of the crowd, flushed with apparent excitement with the incident. For the second time, she found herself less than amused with a situation he had decided was funny. And this time, it wasn't because she was covered in slime.

Filch stormed through the crowd of students, and it took her a few moments to zone in on his words as she realized he was speaking. "My cat! You've killed her!" His words filtered in slowly, though she could tell he was speaking much faster, and she assumed it was just the gravity of the situation sinking in, as her father came around the corner with Dumbledore and McGonagall. She slowly came out of her daze as she was swept down the hall, Harry and Ron beside her, surrounded by three terrifying Professors, and Lockhart. Filch not far behind, cradling his cat lovingly.

As the door to the office, slammed shut behind them, she felt tears of fear burning behind her eyes. There was silence as the cat was placed on the desk, and examined by the headmaster and McGonagall. She let her eyes fall onto her father, who stood back in the shadows, and was swarmed with with confusion as she realized he was trying not to smile. Lockhart was circling the desk, almost prowling, declaring that he already knew the curse that had killed her, and had he been there, he might have just saved her. Hermione scowled at the idiot's erratic behavior, and felt for sure she would be packing her bags that very evening, with Harry and Ron. And suddenly she knew just why her father was holding back a smile. He thought he'd finally be rid of them, it hurt to think he wouldn't be sad to see her go.

"She's not dead Argus." Dumbledore said at long last, after tapping the cat with his wand, muttering several spells. She heard Harry's exhale of relief, as Filch stopped sobbing long enough to question the headmaster. "Not dead? Then why's she all - stiff and frozen?" His gnarled face was still hidden behind his hands, and she had a rush of sympathy for the batty old man. "She's been petrified." Dumbledore answered simply. The ghost of a smile fell off her father's face almost instantly, and she felt twice as hurt by the action. "But how, I cannot say..." Filch leapt to his feet and jabbed his finger in Harry's face, "Ask him!" "No second year could have done this, it would take dark magic of the most advanced -" Snape now looked as though he had been force fed dragon manure, as Filch tried to insist it had been Harry's doing.

Vindictively she thought that he deserved to be force fed dung for being so happy at the thought of her expulsion. "I never touched Mrs. Norris!" Harry's sudden shout startled her, and she nearly fell off her chair. "And I don't even know what a squib is!" He continued, addressing the previous accusation Filch appeared to have made behind the reason of the attack. Filch began spewing more verbal abuse, but was cut off by her father, "If I might speak, Headmaster," his face had become very nearly gleeful again, and Hermione found herself gripping both Harry and Ron's sleeves for comfort. "Potter and his friends may have simply been in the wrong place, at the wrong time." He paused, and her heart skipped a beat, but he didn't stop there. "But we do have a set of suspicious circumstances here. Why were they not present at the feast?" Ah. Now she knew why he was being so cold. He had noticed her absence and was furious.

She launched into their explanation at the same time as the boys, about attending the death-day party, explaining that there was at least a hundred ghosts who could vouch for them. "Then why not join the feast after you left? Why go up that corridor?" She and Ron turned to look at Harry. She had absolutely no idea why they'd been dragged that way, but she had a feeling both boys did. Harry, however, seemed to decide the truth would be a bad idea, because he very blatantly lied and said that they had been tired and wanted to go to bed. "Without supper?" The gleeful smile on the potions master's face made a single tear roll down Hermione's cheek, and she wished to vanish from the room. "I didn't think ghosts provided food fit for the living." It was positively ghastly how pleased Snape looked with himself. "We weren't hungry." Ron said loudly, just as his stomach began to growl, giving them away. Snape, in a rather nasty, evil manner, suggested to the headmaster that they remove certain privileges from Harry until he was ready to tell the truth, but he was shot down by Professor McGonagall quickly.

Dumbledore's eyes were trained on Harry the whole time, and Hermione could tell he was searching for any signs of guilt, "Innocent until proven guilty, Severus." He said at last, with a firm voice, giving the scowling Professor a hard look. "My cat has been petrified!" Filch screeched suddenly, drawing the attention back unto himself, "I demand to see some punishment!" "We will be able to cure her, Argus." Dumbledore stated calmly, raising his hand to silence the caretaker. "Madam Sprout managed to recently procure some mandrakes. As soon as they have matured, I will have the potion made which will revive Mrs. Norris." The young brunette felt a sort of guilty pleasure as Lockhart rambled on about how he would brew the restorative drought, being an expert on the matter, quickly igniting her father's fury. "Excuse me," his voice was cold as ice as his patience finally snapped with the idiot, "but I believe_ I am _the potions master at this school." Dumbledore nodded his head to the door as he noticed how distraught she was becoming.

They scrambled into the darkened hallway, and made sure they were a long way from the office before Harry asked if they thought he ought to have mentioned having heard the strange voice. She let Ron handle the questions as she tried to wipe away her tears. She listened as Ron explained what a squib was, because it seemed important to her, and when Harry declared that they should hurry to bed, before Snape could try and frame them for something else, she burst into full out sobs. The two boys didn't say anything, but helped her amble into the common room, and sat her in one of the open chairs by the fire. "How c-c-could he?" She wailed, launching herself into Ron's chest, as he was the closest. "Er...there, there, Hermione." The red head said awkwardly, patting her on the back. Harry sat on the arm rest beside her and rubbed soft circles over her shoulders. "It'll be okay, we haven't been expelled." The dark haired boy was just as awkward as Ron was. She shook her head and pulled away, drawing her knees up to her chin, "You d-don't understand." She mumbled, wiping her face with her sleeve. "He's supposed to protect me here. He didn't even c-care." She had to force herself to not call him her father, although the action was more out of fear of being abandoned by her friends, than keeping the secret.

Harry and Ron exchanged an awkward glance, and sank down onto either side of her, so they were all crammed into the chair, their arms wrapping around her shoulder. "It's not that surprising, is it? He's not the nicest professor." She sighed, but kept her mouth shut as they offered her the comfort she needed.

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><p>For a while, all anyone could talk about was the attack, and Hermione was once again ignoring her post. Archie was getting grouchy with her again, but she simply couldn't bear to read anything from either her father or Draco. Over breakfast the following Saturday, she had amassed a stack of bacon, and wrapped it in a napkin. "What'cha doing, Hermione?" Ginny asked softly, her eyes shining with tears. Ron had just attempted to comfort her over the attack on Mrs. Norris, but it hadn't gone so well. The brunette leaned in close to the young red haired girl, "It's for my owl Archie. He's rather cross with me, after I burned up that howler yesterday, and bacon is his favourite." The first year nodded in understanding, remembering the incident. The entire school had seen in fact. Hermione grabbed the napkin and stood grimly, "I'll see you guys later." She received an acknowledging nod from Harry and Ron, and offered Ginny a sad sort of smile, before leaving the great hall.<p>

She reached the owlery without bumping into anyone, and found Archie hidden high up in the rafters, "Oh, Archie! I'm sorry!" She called out, unwrapping the bacon, trying to tempt the owl down without any such luck. After ten minutes she was about ready to give up, when the door to the owlery opened and her father stepped in. "Hermione," He seemed slightly surprised to see her, and she could see he was holding another howler. She gave him a weak glare, and turned back to face her owl.

Severus felt rather ashamed as his daughter turned away from him, and he vanished the howler in his hand. It suddenly seemed foolish that he should be the one angry with her, when she had actually done nothing wrong. He opened his mouth to say something, but he heard footsteps approaching, and he pretended to busy himself with a school owl. The doors opened again, and Ginny walked into the tower, shaking slightly as she caught sight of Snape. "H-Hermione, I was just - can I talk to you?" The second year turned around after placing the bacon into a feeding trough for the owls, "Sure, Ginny. Let's go outside." She escorted the younger girl outside, without so much as a second glance at her father.

Hermione spent most of her time reading since the attack, with the exception of when she tried to win over her owl's love, and when she was ducking into hiding places to avoid her father and Lockhart in the halls. She avoided answering Harry and Ron's questions, afraid they were going to ask more about the night she had broken down crying. The Wednesday following the attack, she and Ron were in the library, waiting for Harry, whom had been held back after potions. She was growing frustrated by now, searching for the library's copy of a book she had owned, which had been stolen out of her trunk the week before. As she made her way back to the table she'd left Ron at, she saw him talking with Harry about the Hufflepuff boy they'd partnered with at the beginning of the year in Herbology, and she let out an irritated growl as she threw herself down on a chair. "All the copies of _Hogwarts: a history _are gone! And mine was stolen!" She huffed, "And there's a two week waiting list."

"Why do you want it?" Harry asked, sitting in another empty chair between her and Ron. "The same reason everyone wants it," she stated plainly, wondering why he even needed to ask, "to read up on the legend of the Chamber of Secrets." He finally seemed to understand and asked her what it was, to which she told him she couldn't remember. She was frustrated with herself for being unable to recall, "I can't find the story anywhere else, either." "Hermione, let me read your composition." Ron asked suddenly, looking up from his history of magic paper. She scoffed, "Oh no, you've had ten days to work on that one Ron." She hugged her bag close to her chest as the red head lunged for it, "Oh come on! I only need two more inches!" She was saved by the bell however, signifying the end of lunch.

She sat at her desk, taking notes in a diligent, yet bored, manner, until her eyes actually fell upon their ghostly teacher. The wheels began to turn in her brain, and her hand shot up suddenly. While that act was not, in other classes unusual, even she had never raised her hand in Binns' class before. The transparent teacher stopped speaking halfway through his lecture, and stared at her hand as though he had forgotten that he did in fact have a class full of students. "Miss -er..." "Granger, Professor. I was wondering if you could tell us anything about the Chamber of Secrets." Her voice was perfectly clear, however the Professor took several moments to process her words anyway. "My subject is History of Magic, I deal with facts Miss Granger, not myths and legends." As he protested, the various sleeping and glazed over students became conscious, and Hermione's hand shot up again as he tried to resume his lesson.

"Miss Grant?" His wheezy voice was now beginning to sound annoyed, "Please sir, don't legends always have basis in fact?" She smirked triumphantly as the ghost gave in, noticing the rapt attention that was directed at him. "Oh, very well. Let me see, the Chamber of Secrets..." He rasped, and Hermione was beside herself with giddy anticipation. "You all know, of course, that Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago - the precise date is uncertain - by the four greatest witches and wizards of the age. The four school houses are named after them: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. They built this castle together, far from prying muggle eyes, for it was an age when magic was feared by common people and witches and wizards suffered much persecution."

"For a few years, the founders worked in harmony together, seeking out youngsters who showed signs of magic and bringing them to the castle to be educated. But then disagreements sprang up between them. A rift began to grow between Slytherin and the others. Slytherin wished to be more selective about the students admitted to Hogwarts. He believed that magical learning should be kept within all-magic families. He disliked taking students of muggle parentage, believing them to be untrustworthy. After a while, there was a serious argument on the subject between Slytherin and Gryffindor, and Slytherin left the school." Binns paused a moment to glance at the students, "Reliable historical sources tell us this much, but these honest facts have been obscured by the fanciful legend of the Chamber of Secrets. The story goes that Slytherin had built a hidden chamber in the castle, of which the other founders knew nothing."

"Slytherin, according to legend, sealed the Chamber of Secrets so that none would be able to open it until his own true heir arrived at the school. The heir alone would be able to control the horror within, and use it to purge the school of all those who were unworthy to study magic." The room was quiet with unease, and Binns became further annoyed at their demanding attentions. "The whole thing is arrant nonsense, of course." He said, claiming the school had been searched many times, but even the most logical and learned witches and wizards had never found a thing to prove it. Hermione wasn't quite satisfied with the Professor's response, but any opportunity to ask more questions was dashed as fellow students enthusiastically threw in their thoughts.

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><p>By the time lunch had ended, Hermione had the distinct impression that Ron's insulting the 'loony' Salazar Slytherin had bothered Harry. Colin, though not unusual, had stopped to talk to Harry during the meal, only to scuttle off before he could finish what he'd come to say, which Harry generously supplied as probably having been that his class mate thought Harry was Slytherin's heir. She'd rolled her eyes at this and decided not to point out (as she'd read in some recent history books before first year,) that Harry wasn't even a pureblood. They left the great hall with the bulk of the crowd and soon found themselves on the same second floor corridor they had, the night Mrs. Norris was attacked.<p>

"No harm in poking around for clues, is there?" Harry asked rhetorically, not waiting for an answer from the other two before making his way down the hall. By the time he reached where the writing was, he was on his hands and knees, looking for clues on the floor. "Look! Scorch marks!" And apparently, he found them. Hermione watched, perturbed, as she noticed a trail of spiders. "That's funny, have you ever seen spiders act like this?" She asked, watching them race out through a cracked window in a steady line. Harry joined her, watching closely. "No, never. How about you Ron?" They heard a mild whimper and turned to face the red head quickly. Both fearing they'd come face to face with Filch or Snape. While there were no Professor's, or adults at all, Ron still looked as though he wished to run. "What's up Ron?" Harry asked, steeping towards the taller boy. "I - don't - like - _spiders_!"

Hermione fought the urge to roll her eyes at the whimpering boy, however she was hard pressed to keep from laughing. Ron defensively launched into a story about Fred turning his teddy bear into a giant spider once, and Harry wisely chose to change the subject before the brown haired girl could burst and set off his temper with her giggles. "Someone's mopped up all that water. Where d'you reckon it came from?" Hermione took stock of the hallway as Ron walked towards the only door the water could have come from. He had his hand on the door and was pulling it open before he realized. "That's - we can't go in there." He stuttered, going a shade of red only a Weasley could manage. "Oh, no one will be in there anyway." Hermione scoffed, pushing past the boys and into the bathroom, "This is Myrtle's territory." She said quietly, looking around the abandoned bathroom.

"Hello Myrtle, how are you today?" She asked politely, greeting the ghost girl whom had floated out of a stall upon hearing their voices. "This is a girl's toilet." The ghost said dramatically as she took notice of Harry and Ron, "They're _not_ girls." Hermione bit her lip to hide her smile as Ron shifted squeamishly behind her. Harry leaned into her ear and whispered for her to ask if she'd seen anything strange, and Hermione stepped on his foot. "What? What're you whispering about!" Myrtle wailed, pointing dramatically at Harry. "Nothing, we were just wondering if you'd seen anything strange lately? A cat was attacked just out in the hall on Halloween." Hermione placated the bespectacled ghost, "Did you see anyone here that night?" Harry piped up, realizing he'd be stepped on again if he whispered.

Myrtle gave a great pout and turned away, "I wasn't paying attention. Peeves upset me so much I came in here and tried to kill myself. Then, of course, I remembered that I'm - that I'm -" Her voice trailed off with a quiver, and Hermione tried to cover Ron's mouth when she heard his intake of air, but wasn't quick enough. "Already dead." The red head supplied, obviously thinking he'd been helpful in some way. Myrtle let out a mighty wail and dove into the u-bend of her favourite toilet. "Come on, we'd better go." Hermione said quietly, pushing the two boys back into the hallway. "RON!" The furious face of Percy awaited them in the hall, and Hermione thought that, perhaps, she should have left first to see the coast was clear. Oh well. Percy was livid as he scolded Ron for having been in a girl's toilet, no matter that it was to look for 'clues', and then, the prefect said something almost caring. He told them it looked very bad to be back in the hall when everyone was in dinner, (when had it gotten so late, she wondered,) and they would frighten poor Ginny if they didn't leave now.

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><p>That night in the common room was frustrating for Hermione. Harry and Ron, who was frustrated because of his wand and willing to take it out on anything, had begun arguing over whom they thought was the heir of Slytherin. She felt bad, having provoked the conversation accidentally by wondering aloud to herself, when they decided it had to be Malfoy. "Malfoy, heir of Slytherin?" She asked sceptically, wondering if Ron could really be so dense. Honestly, Malfoy would have bragged his arse off by now if he'd known he was related to Salazar Slytherin. "Look at his family," Harry said, quick to take Ron's side, '<em>you look at his family<em>,' Hermione thought as she rolled her eyes. "The whole lot of them have been in Slytherin, he's always boasting about it." '_So was my dad's, until I came along_.' She scoffed at her own thought and felt two bewildered looks on her. "I - it's just - he'd have bragged about it by now, you know?" She covered up quickly, but was ignored. "I bet they've been handing the key down, father to son, for centuries!" Ron exclaimed, "Well, I suppose...it's possible..."

"How do we prove it?" Harry asked, a dark look in his eyes, and she was (though slightly scared,) proud he thought of gather _proof_ first this time. "There might be a way..." She shot a look at Percy to make sure he was out of ear range before continuing, "Of course it'll be difficult, and dangerous. And break about _fifty_ school rules. Very dangerous." She wanted to stress that part, because with her luck, she'd be the one who got hurt by it anyway, but Ron grew impatient. "Alright," she snapped at the red head, "What we'd need to do is get inside Slytherin's common room and ask D-Malfoy a few questions without him knowing it's us." The boys gave her a funny look and Harry declared that it would impossible, "No, we'd just need some polyjuice potion."

Their incredulous looks were all she need to know that, as per usual, they had not actually been paying attention in potions this year. "Snape told us about it three weeks ago. Honestly, don't you two _ever_ listen?" They gave her a pointed look and she sighed in frustration. "It turns you into someone else. Think about it! We could change into three of the Slytherins. No one would know it was us." '_I could sabotage Pansy and Milicent's robes_.' A tiny Slytherin type voice hissed in her mind, but she ignored it as Harry and Ron finally seemed to understand. "It sounds a bit dodgy to me. What if we were stuck that way forever?" Ron asked, sneering at the thought. She rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time that day, "It wears off after a while." She waved her hand impatiently, "But getting hold of the recipe would be the problem. It's in the restricted section of the library, and we'd need a note." They lapsed into silence, wondering what sort of plausible story they could feed to a teacher to get the note, and who would be dumb enough to believe them. "Harry, Ron...I've got it. Lockhart." A smirk curled on her lips, oh yes, the dashing, but dim, Professor would believe anything.

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><p>It was left to Hermione to retrieve the note, and so at the end of their next DADA period, she hung back at her desk until the room cleared out. "Um, Professor Lockhart?" She tentatively spoke, as the Professor had been about to enter his office, and he turned around, surprised to find her still there. "Ah yes, Miss Granger. What can I do for you?" "W-well," she forced a stutter, "you see, I wanted to get this book out of the library, for some extra credit work. But the thing is, it's in the restricted section." She watched his (sparkling) blue eye widen, "I see." He said, a dashing smile slipping over his face, "You didn't feel you could go to Severus, so you've come to ask a much more compassionate Professor!" She felt a little awkward as he drew a fluffy blue quill from his desk and began scribbling out the note, "What did you say the name of the book was my dear?" "<em>Moste Potente potions, <em>sir." The exuberant man jolted it down and handed her the parchment with a wink, "You see, not all Professor's are as harsh as Severus is, you can come to me should you need _anything at all _my dear." He was waving enthusiastically as she picked up her bag and left the room.

Harry and Ron ambushed her as she turned the corner, "Well?" She waved the parchment in their faces, "He's rather charming, you know?" She said loudly, as she ushered the boys well away from the room, "Didn't bat and eyelash at it." They hurried to the library, and handed the note to Madam Pince, who looked them up and down like criminals. The librarian, finding nothing wrong with the note, begrudgingly retrieve the book and handed it over to Hermione.

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><p>The potion was easily one of the most complicated she'd ever seen. She sat on her bed, pondering how they would go about getting the ingredients. They had decided to brew it in Myrtle's toilet, since no one else was likely to step foot in there. Ron and Harry had put up their own fights against her, when she'd read the ingredients out, Ron focused more on the final ingredient (a bit of whom ever you wish to turn into,) and Harry wisely worried about the rarer ingredients. He'd mockingly suggested they break into Snape's personal stores, and she had snapped. She reminded them that she didn't want to break the rules. But she did think threatening muggleborns was far worse than brewing a difficult potion.<p>

Ron had mocked her for encouraging them to break rules, at which she'd shrugged. She'd remembered to check the hall before letting the boys leave this time, and had been mulling over Harry's words since then. It was likely that her father's potion store would have exactly what they needed, but getting the ingredients out of it without his knowledge, that would be tricky. She'd have to gather it all at once, that much she knew for certain. If she made two attempts, she'd be caught. She had already decided she would have to do it; Ron was already under watch from Percy, and Harry had enough on his plate. Hermione closed the book gently and tucked it under her mattress with her photo album. Her fingers brushed against the stack of letters she'd ignored since Halloween, and she withdrew her hand quickly. She wasn't ready to read scolding words.

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><p>End chapter five!<p>

For the record, yes, I did copy Binns' explanation about the Chamber of Secrets from the book. I couldn't think of a better way to fit it in, and it had to be included. I do tend to cut some conversations and details, in favour of Hermione-based monologues, but the big stuff has to be there.

I hope you enjoy this chapter, it's not too bad, although there are some bits I wanted to be different.

Year Three is coming along fairly well, for any one who is wondering, I had to restart it though, because I killed off a character, and changed my mind. Also, I'm trying to incorporate Fred and George into Year Three, becasue who doesn't love those mischievous twins?


	6. Quidditch

A girl named Hermione Granger: Year Two

Chapter Six: Quidditch

Disclaimer: Not mine... but I've learned to live with that.

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><p>Hermione was a mess of nerves the next morning, as she made her way to the Quidditch pitch. The sky was as dark and scary as she had ever seen it, and it was beginning to rain. She knew the game would never be called for the weather, no matter how dangerous it became. Her dark eyes swept the pitch as she climbed up into the Gryffindor stands, and she nearly squealed in surprise as she was pulled off the stair case and behind a large support beam. Then, she was face to face with Draco Malfoy. "I, er, tried owling you." He said hurriedly, fidgeting with his Quidditch robes. She blinked rapidly, as if certain that she was dreaming, before responding lamely, "I haven't been reading my post. Archie won't even look at me."<p>

He cleared his throat awkwardly and nodded, "I noticed. Uh, look, do you think we could meet in the library tonight? I wanna talk to you, but there's not enough time now." She bit her lip and looked away, she was still kind of mad at him, it hurt to be called names, even with apologies. "Um, I suppose we might be able to. I did need to go pick up a book anyway." She stopped speaking as she heard heavy foot steps pass by, "You'd better go, these stands will be full of Gryffindors, and any of them who don't blame Harry for what happened to Filch's cat, blame you." Shock filtered across the Slytherins face momentarily, but he rolled his slate-grey eyes none the less, "I wish I was Salazar's heir. The bloody prat could be anybody, although my dad has some, vague idea who he is apparently." He shrugged his shoulders and she offered him a weak smile. She stepped away from the support beam and gave him a quick hug before stepping out onto the stairs. She looked up and down, and sent Draco a quick nod as if to say 'all clear', before continuing on her way up the stairs.

She found her seat by Ron and Neville, whom had decided that sitting with them was much safer then on his own, and began fidgeting with her scarf. She wasn't fond of this game, remembering how violent it was the year before, and now she had to watch two friends, fear twisting in her stomach. What would she do if Draco fell? She couldn't very well let on that she was worried, the Gryffindor's would all turn on her again, and she was not eager to repeat that experience. Well, if he _did_ get hurt, she'd simply sneak off to the infirmary after dinner and visit, she decided. Although she prayed it wouldn't come down to that.

Madam Hooch strode across the field, and was joined by the two house teams, and the game began. The first few minutes seemed normal, as Hermione's eyes darted around the pitch, following both Harry and Draco (whom looked like he would rather be elsewhere,) ignoring the droning voice of Lee Jordan as he detailed every move of either team. She was the first to notice, of her seat mates at least, that something was off with one of the bludgers. In fact she wouldn't have noticed at all, if she hadn't watched it fly at Draco's face, stop, then fly in the opposite direction towards Harry. It was then she noticed that the dark haired, scrawny seeker was surrounded by the Weasley twins. She watched them beat the bludger away repeatedly, and she turned to Ron. "Bludgers aren't supposed to do that, are they?" She already knew that, of course, but she had asked the question hoping for a shrug and a casual reply that yes, they did do that sometimes. However Ron was sheet white as a time out was called in the game. "No, that's been tampered with."

Her eyes, shining with worry, returned to the field as play resumed. Fred and George were no longer flanking Harry, but the bludger was still hot on his tail. The boy was now a streak of red, twirling and zig-zagging through the air, and for a moment, Hermione was reminiscent of the first game of their first year, when his broom had been cursed by Quirrell. This time, however, she knew the insane maneuvering was purposeful. He zoomed past Slytherins seeker, and her eyes locked onto Draco again. Instantly her cheeks were red with anger, and she nearly ripped her scarf in half. The blonde prat was laughing and, though she couldn't hear the words, taunting Harry as he desperately tried to avoid the violent bludger. Even worse, she noticed, was that snitch was hovering right beside his ear. Her eyes flickered over to Harry, and she saw his eyes lock onto the snitch moments before the bludger slammed into his elbow.

She was squirming in her seat, gripping her scarf so tightly that her knuckles were completely white. "Blimey." She heard Ron mumble beside her, gripping his own arm tightly. They watched as Harry, clutching his broken arm to his chest, dove at Malfoy. "What the bloody hell is he doing?" Ron gasped, making Hermione roll her eyes, "The snitch Ronald. It's been floating around Malfoys snarky little head for three minutes." They watched as Malfoy dove out of Harry's way, obviously still unaware of the snitch. In slow motion they saw Harry remove his good arm from the broom handle, grab the snitch out of the air, and crash into the soggy ground below, with a squelching thud. Hermione was out of her seat before the dark haired boy landed, Ron's sleeve fisted in her hand, and she tugged the lanky red head down onto the field. The whole way down, all she could think of was Draco's sneering, laughing face, and her insides were hot with anger. To think she'd actually been worried about the blonde prat.

They came level with the field just in time to see Lockhart making his way to Harry, who wasn't moving. "Oh no! Hurry up Hermione! Lockhart'll probably kill him!" Ron groaned, and suddenly she found herself being dragged by him, her fingers still firmly gripping his sleeve. They arrived too late, though Harry was now conscious, Lockhart had waved his wand, and the circle of people around them watched as the seeker's arm _deflated_ instead of mending.

Lockhart, as usual, was not daunted by the fact he'd failed to do what he'd been trying to do, and was announcing that this was sometimes a side effect of the charm, and Madam Pomfrey would be more than able to fix it. His twinkling blue eyes fell upon Hermione and Ron, and he flashed the pair a dashing smile, "Ah Miss Granger, Mister Weasley...would you escort Harry to the hospital wing please?" Hermione was shaking with rage, half at the blonde idiot who de-boned Harry's arm, and half at the other blonde idiot, who had just been smacked upside the head by the Slytherin teams captain. Good, she thought, he deserved it. She and Ron propped Harry between them and led him back towards the castle.

Madam Pomfrey, once they entered the Hospital wing, was livid at the sight of Harry's arm. It was rather sickening, Hermione decided, to see it dangling like a flesh coloured glove from his shoulder. "You should have come straight to me!" She raged, examining the limp remainder of Harry's arm. Hermione and Ron let out a sigh of relief when she informed them that she could grow back his bones, though it would take all night.

Before she and Ron were made to leave, Hermione found herself earnestly engaged in their discussion of Malfoy. "I'd like to know how he fixed that bludger." She muttered darkly, fury ringing through her at the way the Slytherin had behaved on the field. She had promised to forgive, but that didn't stop her from doubting his sincerity. If her Slytherin side was what allowed her to keep her father a secret, his Slytherin side was enough to have him lie to her. Like hell she was going to go speak to him tonight.

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><p>Hermione sat on her bed, a dozen un-opened letters in front of her, Archie perched on her shoulder. "If I read them all, do you promise to forgive me?" She asked her owl, earning a sharp nip on her ear lobe. "Ow! Okay, okay. I'm reading them." She picked up the oldest letter first and opened it, it was from her father, declaring she ought to be grounded for being silly enough to follow the boys into trouble again. She humphed and picked up the next one, which declared she was grounded for ignoring her post. "What happened to the<em> nice <em>father I had over summer break?" She hissed, reading through the next few, which mainly contained various demands that she go to potions room immediately for an important conversation. Then, the last few were from Draco. The first one told her she ought to speak to her father before he sends her a howler. She snorted at that. She'd burned the howler anyway.

The next two from Draco contained apologies, and she was frustrated that they managed to evaporate her anger. "Damn that boy!" She groaned, falling forward over her pile of letters, as Archie removed himself from his perch on her shoulder, to make himself comfortable on her bed post instead. "Fine. He wins. I'll go meet up with him." Archie hooted at her and she sighed, "Fine. They win. I'll go speak to _both _of them." She couldn't help but smile when the tawny owl flew down on to her bed and nuzzled against her face. "You just take dad's side because he's the one who bought you." She teased, stroking his soft face, and he clicked his beak at her as if agreeing.

She grabbed her letters and climbed off her bed, stuffing them into the very bottom of her trunk, "Ok, only a little bit longer til curfew, so I'd better go now, huh?" She threw on her cloak, and walked her owl to the window. She left the tower and came face to face with Ron and Neville in the common room. "Where you going?" The red head asked, his eyes flickering away from his chess game momentarily, "The library. I need a book to finish my charms essay." She choked on her words slightly, and faked a cough to cover it. For some reason, she had a harder time lying to Ron this year. "Oh. Bye." The gangly boy returned to his game, wherein he was crushing Neville, and she dashed for the portrait, "Wait! Hermione, could you grab me the book we need for Herbology?" She nearly tripped at Neville's request, but caught herself on the wall, and said a quick "Sure Neville," before finally escaping into the hall.

She made her way to the library quickly, an ominous feeling of dread sweeping over her as she further and further from the safety of Gryffindor tower. She was so relieved to reach the library in one piece that she let out an audible sigh as she entered. She roamed the stacks, fetching both the book she needed, and the one Neville asked for, before searching for Draco. After a ten minute search, it became apparent that he was not there. "Little prat, stood me up." She grumbled, making her way to Madam Pince's desk to sign out the books. The librarian gave her a smile, "You just missed him, actually. He was here for a half hour, and got dragged out by that fifth year, Marcus Flint." Hermione flushed and whispered a soft "oh." She felt bad for being angry now. "Thanks, Madam Pince. I guess I'll have to owl him then."

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><p>The following morning, Hermione woke up to a rapid knocking at the door to her room, and the grumbling protests of her two room mates. "Hermione!" Ron's voice called through the door, making the brunette wince. She rolled out of bed and threw on her bathrobe and slippers for extra warmth, and stumbled over to the door. She opened it a crack and glared at the boy on the other side, "What, Ron?" She hissed, stifling a yawn. "Hurry up. I wanna get some breakfast before we start the po - er, you-know-what." She rolled her eyes and rana hand through her messy hair, "Okay, okay. I'll be down in five minutes." She slammed the door before he could protest, and shuffled back to her bed. She threw on some of her warmer jeans and a knitted jumper, because it was now the weekend, and tucked <em>Moste Potente Potions <em>into her book bag, along with her potions supplies.

Breakfast was awkward, there was no denying it. Precious few student woke up by seven on a Saturday morning, so she was stuck alone with Ron at the Gryffindor table. She was playing with her hash browns as Archie brought her the package she had ordered a week before. She took the package with a smile and offered Archie some bacon, "Thanks Archie." Ron raised an eyebrow at her as she placed the package on the bench beside her. "What, how do you expect to brew the potion without a cauldron? We can't use one of ours, because then one of us would fail potions for a whole month." She explained, exasperation seeping into her voice.

They were in the girls washroom on the second floor, setting up the cauldron over a toilet in one of the back stalls when Harry found them. He began telling them about the night before right away. He mentioned Colin, and Hermione stiffened, "We already know about Colin." She said grimly, "I actually saw him leaving the tower last night on my way back from to library, and McGonagall was talking about it in the hall this morning." Ron took this chance to let off a round of insults on Malfoy, "You know what I think? He was in such a fould mood about the Quidditch match yesterday, he took it out on Colin." Hermione wished she could scoff at the idea, but knew she couldn't. Yes, Draco had told her he wasn't the heir, but she also knew for a fact he was out of his dorm around the time Colin would have been attacked. He had only left the library minutes before she'd arrived, according to Madam Pince.

Harry proceeded to tell them about Dobby, and everything the house elf had said, which made them all very nervous. "So the Chamber of Secrets was opened before?" She asked, wondering what kind of damage control she was going to have to do now, "That settles it." Ron said dramatically, looking fairly triumphant, "Lucius Malfoy must've opened it when he was in school, and now he's passed the secret onto dear Draco." He continued on, saying he wished Dobby had said something about the type of monster, but Hermione's mind was already speeding through the various magical creatures she'd researched. "Maybe it can make itself invisible?" She wasn't too convinced of the idea, but it was possible, she prodded leeches to the bottom of the cauldron, "Or maybe it can disguise itself -pretend to be a suit of armor or something. I've read about Chameleon Ghouls -" Ron's snort of laughter cut her off, as he poured dead lacewings into the cauldron. "You read too much."

She scowled as the red head turned to Harry, "So Dobby stopped us getting on the train, and broke your arm. You know what, Harry? If he doesn't stop trying to save your life, he's going to kill you."

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><p>News spread quickly that day, about Colin, and Hermione found herself surprised by the level of insanity that spread through the castle. Fred and George spent the day scaring the wits out of poor Ginny, until Percy did a wonderful impression of Snape's favourite apoplectic outbursts (not that the Gryffindor prefect knew it.) By lunch time, people were trading talismans and protective charms, and it wasn't even just the muggleborns doing it, either. Hermione had found Neville being made fun of by his dorm mates for buying some questionable items. She rolled her eyes at the antics of the pureblood boy before leaving the common room in favour of the library.<p>

The book stacks were mercifully quiet, as it seemed any of the students who _did_ frequent the library, were afraid to end up like Colin. She made her way to a table at the very back of the expansive room, and was rather surprised to find Draco, pouring over a long scroll of parchment. She debated whether or not she should make herself known, wondering if he was miffed about the night before, but her choice was made for her when he irritably told her to "Sod off," without looking up from his parchment. She stomped her foot and called him a prat before marching away. She very nearly made it around the corner when his hand closed on her wrist.

"Sorry. Thought you were Flint. Bastard had me out training all morning, and I'm swamped with homework." He looked genuinely sorry, and she sighed as she allowed him to drag her back over to the table. "Sorry about last night. Madam Pince said I missed you by a few minutes. But I couldn't come down until I read all my post to pacify Archie." She decided not to mention _why_ she'd needed to pacify her irritable owl. If she told him about the cauldron, she'd probably spill the beans about the potion, and then the boys would end up expelled, because Draco would probably run straight to her father with the information. He shrugged off her apology, "I didn't figure you would come. I thought you and Weasel would be -" She shot him a sharp glare, which he ignored, "- visiting Pothead."

She tugged out a piece of scrap parchment, a quill, and her nearly empty inkwell, deciding that she would need a distraction if she was going to get through this conversation politely. "We got kicked out when he was given the Skelegrow. Now what did you want to talk about last night?" She began drafting a letter for her father, whom she figured she should probably make up with before Christmas. "I don't actually remember." His tone was passive, but she could tell he was lying. Obviously, whatever it had been, he'd changed his mind about sometime after the Quidditch game had ended. "Oh." She finished scribbling her note, and packed up, "In that case, I'm leaving. Need to owl father. If you'll excuse me." She walked away quickly, ignoring his attempt at calling her back, and practically ran to the owlery.

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><p>End chapter six!<p>

More sort of Dramione moments, and my personal reassurance that Year three has more coming, because there's not too much more Dramione in Year Two, although don't skip the ending, because it's cute. But listen to me, hinting at something six chapters away, I'm evil.

All my hard work catching up with writing Year Three and I've only reached the first class with Lupin. I've had to extend it a bit, because Hermione's the one with the Time-Turner, so it'd be damned confusing to not explain that part, although I did find a way to fix a minor plot hole. Hermione's birthday is in september, _after_ both Harry and Ron's, yet in DH she uses magic before Harry's birthday while at the Burrow. BUT, and this made things less confusing, she would be nearly a year older than the boys, wouldn't she? After using the Time-Turner for the whole of PoA! Ta-da! Plot hole fixed. But shhhhh... you didn't read that.


	7. Too Many Things Only Half Known

A girl named Hermione Granger: Year Two

Chapter Seven: Too many things only half known

Disclaimer: Not mine

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><p>In the second week of December, Hermione found herself still awaiting a reply from her father. She was, at first, concerned Archie was still cross with her, but that theory was shot down as the owl brought her a letter from Julie, and had nuzzled her affectionately. The letter from her sister had been reprimanding, and she assumed the her father had owled her to try and convince Julie to talk some sense into her. The letter mainly told her, in Julie's naturally rebelliously scolding way, that she should stay for Christmas and maybe give her father a nice thoughtful gift, and get him off her back. She and the boys had already signed up to stay for the Christmas break, having heard a 'rumour' that Malfoy would be staying as well. Of course, the boy's didn't know the 'rumour' stemmed from a letter she'd received from the blonde Slytherin boy, informing her his blasted father was making him stay so he could practice Quidditch some more. But what they didn't know, couldn't hurt them.<p>

The Thursday before Christmas break began, they made their plan to retrieve the last few ingredients from Snape's personal stores. "What we'll need, is a distraction." She stated briskly, as she looked down at _Moste Potente Potions_, "Then one of us can slip into Snape's office and take what we need." Both boys seemed nervous at the idea, colour draining from their faces, and she rolled her eyes. "I think I'd better do the actual stealing. You two will be expelled if you get in any more trouble, and I have a clean slate. So all you need to do is cause enough mayhem to buy me about five minutes."

When potions began, Hermione was pleased to find that they were making a potion that would easily provide the distraction they would need. Hermione brewed her potion carefully, keeping her eyes glued to her father as he made his way around the class to make comments about the various students efforts. As soon as he moved onto Neville's desk, where he would undoubtedly be for a while, as Neville was his favourite to criticize, she nodded to Harry, who pulled a Filibuster's firework out of his pocket. He lit it with his wand, and threw it into Goyle's cauldron, where it exploded violently, showering nearly every student with the Swelling Solution. She quickly slipped out of the room.

Once she was in the hall, she ran as quickly as she could to her father's office and slipped inside. She gathered the ingredients quickly and tucked the vials she had brought to carry them, into the belt she was wearing under her robes. She made her way back to the potions classroom and opened the door just enough to see her father fixing Draco's incredibly swelled nose. She crept back in and sat on her stool, forcing a straight face as Snape finished fixing the last inflamed student.

When her father made his way to the now ruined cauldron at Goyle's desk, she was afraid Harry or Ron would give away their guilt in the incident, as he pulled out the twisted and burnt firecracker. The room went quiet as he glared at them all, threatening to expel whom ever had dared to throw the offending item.

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><p>Hermione sat at the breakfast table nervously, holding a letter a safe distance from herself, afraid it might explode the same way a howler would. She could tell, from the way her name was written on the envelope, that it was from her father. She hadn't slept the night before, fearing the owl she was sure she'd get that morning, and now she was feeling slightly irrational. She tried to pour herself a cup of coffee, to gain the courage to actually read the letter, but it was transfigured into pumpkin juice the moment it touched her goblet.<p>

"Jeeze, Hermione, who'd you tick off so bad you're afraid of a _normal_ letter?" Ron asked, tactless as usual, spraying her with bits of egg. She cringed away in disgust and pulled open the letter. "It's from my dad. We, er, had a row about me staying here for Christmas." She lied, her eyes skimming the contents of the letter. She let out a squeak of terror as she read the last line. He knew. He _knew_ she'd snuck into his office! "Shi- er..." She started to swear, but caught herself as she felt her father glowering at her from the staff table. Better not to provoke him anymore, she decided. Harry and Ron thought _they_ were due for trouble if they got caught, but she was going to be grounded for the rest of her life if Snape figured out what she took and _why_. She was already supposedly grounded.

"I've, er...got to go speak to..." She stood up from her seat and collected her bag, trying to remember what class they had first to make a reasonable excuse, "Professor Flitwick?" Harry supplied, as she fumbled with her letter, cramming it into her bag, "Yes! Right. Professor Flitwick. See you in Charms." She dashed out of the hall quickly, leaving Harry and Ron very confused. "We don't have Charms today, Harry." Ron pointed out, and the dark haired boy nodded, "I know. I was testing her. She's so jumpy." There was a pause before Ron leaned closer to his best friend, "That kind of reminds me of last year, you remember when you were in the hospital wing and she got all twitchy?" Harry furrowed his eyebrows, thinking back to the previous year. "Yeah, sort of." "Well, I saw something odd, when Dumbledore and Snape found us in the room with the flying keys."

Harry, whom had taken a drink from his goblet of pumpkin juice, choked. "What?" He gasped, coughing as the juice tried to enter his lungs. "She _hugged_ Snape. Well, rather, _he _hugged _her. _Kinda like how my dad hugs Ginny whenever he doesn't see her for a couple days. It was down right _creepy_." Harry was now so shocked, he spilled his goblet everywhere. "WHAT!" He hissed. "Why didn't you tell me before?" Harry groaned, Snape could be controlling Hermione! Ron shrugged, shifting away from the puddle of pumpkin juice, "I wasn't a hundred percent sure I saw it. I passed out again almost as soon as it happened. But I've been watching him this year, and he's always got his eyes on her. You don't reckon he's...you know?" Both boys felt their blood run cold at the thought, "N-no." Harry replied shakily after a moment, "Not a chance. Dumbledore wouldn't stand for it. Maybe there's something we aren't seeing."

Harry and Ron stayed silent as they thought over what little they knew. Hermione's parents were muggle dentists, she had several siblings. She often fought with her father via owl post, and had not only been hugged by Snape, but (as Ron recalled with a gasp) sat at the Slytherin table being all chummy at the end of the year. "Oh, oh Harry. I just remembered something else." Ron tugged on his best friends sleeve, "Last year, when I left the hospital wing and Dumbledore took me to the great hall, she was _chatting_ with Malfoy and the other Slytherins in our year." Harry blinked at the final piece of information. "What do you mean '_chatting'_?" He demanded, and Ron just shook his head sadly. "She was sitting there, talking, and they were listening, and being polite back at her. It was almost like she was..." He leaned in close so could whisper, "...one of _them_." This time Harry laughed. "What? Hermione a _Slytherin_? You're joking. You've lost it Ron."

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><p>Hermione sat in the potions classroom, nervously twisting her hair around her fingers when her father came in. "Oh good. You actually decided to grace me with your presence." He drawled bitterly, making her wince. "I'm s-sorry fath-" "Professor, if you <em>don't<em> mind." "Y-yes, Professor." She began to shake slightly afraid of his anger. "I was...I was too upset to read my post. And I'm sorry I ignored you." She mumbled, keeping her eyes in her lap. She could already feel his piercing glare, she didn't need to see it too.

"You have been very immature this year." He hissed after a moment of silence, and she fought the urge to tell him that _of course _she was being immature, she was _twelve_. "I know have read the whole letter I sent you." He was standing in front of her desk now, "I will give you a chance to explain why you have pilfered such rarely used ingredients from my office." She took a deep breath and shook her head, "I d-didn't -" "Ten points from Gryffindor, for lying." He cut her off, and she shivered. "Well, are you going to tell me or not?" He demanded, so close now that she could hear his short angry breathing. She shook her head violently, determined not to say a word. "No? Fine. Perhaps a week of detentions will change your mind." She ran out of the classroom quickly, not waiting to be dismissed, tears burning trails down her face.

She missed her first two lessons that day. When lunch came around, a welcome distraction of recent events was found, pinned to the wall outside of the great hall. A dueling club had been set up, and the first meeting would be at eight o'clock that evening. Hermione didn't really speak much to either of the boys, aside from asking for the topics of the two classes she had missed.

When eight o'clock rolled around, she found herself gathered in the great hall, listening to Harry and Ron discuss who would be teaching the club. Just as Harry voiced his hopes that it wouldn't be Lockhart, the dashing Professor himself entered the great hall, decked out in plum coloured robes, with Severus Snape right behind him. Hermione quickly looked away from her father, firmly telling herself not to get upset. The action did not go unnoticed by Harry and Ron.

"Gather round!" Lockhart jovially waved his arm for silence, grinning like the lunatic he was, "Gather round! Can everyone see me? Can you all hear me? Excellent!" Hermione focused her eyes on the blonde Professor and allowed herself to pretend he wasn't an idiot while he spoke. "Now, Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little Dueling Club, to train you all up in case you ever need to protect yourselves as I have done on countless occasions." Her brain kindly tuned out the parts of his speech that made him seem conceited, and she felt a goofy smile form on her lips. Gildroy Lockhart was charming and handsome, when you ignored the fact he was an idiot.

"Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape." Lockhart said, his smile getting bigger, although Hermione's smile vanished immediately. "He tells me he knows a tiny little bit about dueling himself and has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration before we begin." His eyes landed on Hermione, and he seemed to mistake her frown as worry for the potions master, because he then assured them all that they would still have their potions master when the demonstration was over. Hermione gave her head a little shake and focused her entire attention on Lockhart again, attempting to shake off the feeling that her father had volunteered to 'assist' Lockhart after finding out he'd allowed her to sign out a restricted potions book.

Severus Snape was in fact there for that very reason. He had snooped around a bit at lunch, after failing to get any information out of his daughter, and discovered that the debonair_ twit _had not only undermined his authority by giving her the note to sign out the book, but had been _encouraging_ her not to speak to him at all. So, taking advantage of the man's trusting nature, he _'kindly' _offered to '_help_' with the Dueling Club. His true intentions were, of course, revenge.

The two grown men face each other and Lockhart bowed deeply, a smile still glued to his face, and Snape tilted his head slightly, counting the many different curses he'd _like_ to use. They held their wands like swords, and Lockhart informed the students that this was the accepted combative position, he told the children that they would not be aiming to kill one another, which Harry whispered "I wouldn't bet on that," in response to, between her and Ron.

Lockhart counted backwards from three, and before he could even attempt to cast a defective spell, Snape shouted "_Expelliarmus_!" and sent the blonde man flying into a wall as his wand flew into the crowd of students. The Slytherin students laughed and cheered, but Hermione ignored them and her father, dancing on the tips of her toes nervously, checking to see if Lockhart was still okay. "Do you think he's okay?" She asked, to which Harry and Ron answered in unison "Who cares."

Snape watched with a smirk as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher tried to get to his feet. That'd show the bastard to undermine his authority where Hermione was concerned. He, just to accentuate his point, glowered at the other Professor as he stumbled back onto the platform on which they'd dueled. Lockhart rattled off that he'd allowed the spell to hit him until he spotted the glowering glare. The shaken Professor immediately declared it was time for the students to pair off and practice.

Hermione wasn't insulted that Harry tried to pair up with Ron first, but she did get a little angry when her father came and split the three of them up. As she stood across from Millicent, she thought back to the year before. The large Slytherin girl had never been particularly fond of her, and she looked almost as murderous as Snape had before attacking Lockhart.

Her wand twitched in her hand slightly, as they were instructed to disarm their opponents, and when they were given the signal to go, Hermione found herself in a head lock, gasping for breath, her wand falling from her hand to lay on the floor. Her vision was dancing with black spots as Ron rushed to her rescue and pulled the Slytherin girl off of her. She gasped a thanks to the red head, rubbing at her sore throat. She felt the familiar sensation of her father's eyes on her, but she absolutely refused to turn and look at him. In fact, at the moment, she could care less if she ever spoke to him again.

By the time her breathing returned to normal, Harry and Draco were up on the platform, and Lockhart was counting down for them to start. "_Serpensortia_!" Draco bellowed, with his godfather looking on with pride as Harry froze up. A great, ugly, black snake lay curled between the two second years, hissing angrily. Hermione squeaked in terror as her father stepped forward to vanish the beastly snake, only to have Lockhart attempt to do it first. There was a loud bang and the snake flew into the air before landing back on the platform angrier than ever. Seemingly in slow motion, they watched it lunch towards Justin Finch-Fletchley, as Harry sprung forward hissing angrily. The snake froze, and recoiled. Hermione gripped Ron's arm tightly, as Snape stepped forward and vanished the snake. Ron dragged her onto the platform and they proceeded to drag Harry out of the hall and away from the terrified looks he was receiving.

The walk back to the tower was a blur, as Harry confided that he knew he could speak to snakes, and had been telling the snake Malfoy had summoned to leave the Hufflepuff boy alone. She vaguely remembered telling him that being a Parslemouth was what Salazar Slytherin had been famous for. But everything else was a blur.

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><p>End chapter seven!<p>

It's a bit short, I know, but I rather like it. Even the bit where Snape's a jack ass.

It's kind of funny, but in Year Three I've fixed up the out of character mood swings, and, let's see...the Dramione bits have become more frequent. Much more frequent. And I keep skipping ahead to the bits I want to write. So far I have up til the start of Lupin's Boggart lesson, and then it skips to Hermione's birthday. I'm getting tired of speeling out the important parts of the books. So, if things seem off from Year Three onward, don't fret. The book plots still apply, I just want to change it up! I feel phony needing to re-read the books to get my facts straight anyway.

Also, loving the reviews. And all the alerts!

Heehee, three guesses what wrong conclusion Harry and Ron jumped to (remember, they don't know about the imperius yet)


	8. In The Furry Face Of Trouble

A girl named Hermione Granger: Year Two

Chapter Eight: In the furry face of trouble

Disclaimer: Nope.

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><p>Hermione spent a lot of time in the library normally, but she found herself growing afraid of going into the halls alone. The day after the disastrous Dueling Club, there was a double attack that had shaken up most of the school. Justin Finch-Fletchley had been petrified as well as nearly headless Nick. Anyone who'd previously been assured of their safety was now terrified of venturing the halls alone, most of them thinking Harry would attack them. However, despite her fears, Hermione couldn't stand to be in Gryffindor common room either. Harry and Ron would occasionally give her odd looks, the same sort of looks that the Hufflepuffs gave Harry in the halls before running the other way. So she often sat in the library alone, holding books to her face, not really reading the words.<p>

The majority of the students whom had originally signed to stay for the holidays had rushed to change their minds, and so the castle was almost completely empty now. The polyjuice potion was due to be ready for use on Christmas. Hermione sat in the girls toilet on the few occasions that she did not wish to be alone, talking to moaning Myrtle about anything the weepy ghost girl was willing to speak of. On Christmas morning, she even brought her presents down to the washroom and showed them to Myrtle, who was particularly interested in the gift from her father. "Why'd your father send two gifts? That's just silly." Myrtle giggled, examining the jewelry box from her muggle father, and the few wizarding photo's from her actual father.

The brown haired girl bit her lip, wondering if she could trust Myrtle, "Can you keep a secret?" She asked, and the ghost girl gave her the biggest grin she had ever seen, "Of course I can! Tell me, tell me!" Myrtle squealed excitedly. Hermione sighed and leaned in close, "I have two." "Two what?" "Two fathers." She froze as she realized that the voice that had asked _'two what?' _had been male. She turned around fearfully and came face to face with Percy. She opened her to explain hastily, until it dawned on her that the prefect was in the girl's toilet. "Why are you in the girl's toilet, Percy?" She drawled, raising an eyebrow as the sixth year flushed in embarrassment, "I heard talking. I wanted to warn you not to wander around alone. It's dangerous."

She huffed as he promptly left the bathroom and gathered her presents into one pile, "I should go." She said quietly, flinching as the ghost girl wailed, "Nooo! You _have_ to tell me who!" The second year looked back to the door and, assured that Percy wasn't perched on the outside, said "My real dad is a Professor here. I really _can't_ say anymore Myrtle. It's too dangerous." She left the bathroom before the ghost could stop her.

She dropped her presents off in her dorm before going to Harry and Ron's. She let herself in and found the boys still sleeping. "Wake up!" She drew open their curtains and was met by their groaning protests. "Hermione - you're not supposed to be in here." Ron grumbled at her, pulling the covers over his head. She rolled her eyes at him and moved his pet rat, Scabbers, from his bed so she could sit on the end of it. "Merry Christmas to you too." She threw them their presents and announced "The potion's ready."

Harry shot up, suddenly wide awake, "Are you sure?" She smiled dully, "Positive. If we're going to do it, I say we do it tonight."

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><p>Hermione spent most of the Christmas feast dreading the the thought of taking the polyjuice potion. She had collected one of Millicent's hairs off of her robes the night of the Dueling club, but it would be very hard to convince the Slytherin that she was actually Millicent. As they scarfed down their third helpings of dessert, Hermione reminded them that they needed to get some of Crabbe and Goyle's hairs for the potion, and handed them two plump chocolate cakes. "I've filled these with a simple sleeping drought. You know how greedy they are, they're bound to eat them. Just hide them in a broom closet once they're asleep and meet me in the girls toilet." She left the great hall first, thankful to be escaping Percy's questioning glare. He hadn't tried to corner her since they'd spoken that morning, but he had stared at her for all of dinner.<p>

She sat in the washroom for nearly an hour before the boys showed up, and she begged Myrtle not to tell either Harry or Ron about their conversation from the morning. "Fine. Keep secrets from your friends." The ghost huffed just before the boys entered. Thankfully they didn't seem to have heard her. "We got the hairs." Harry said, holding up the small clump of hair in his hand. She pulled her own vial of Millicent's hair out of her pocket and picked up a goblet full of the polyjuice potion. She dropped in the hair, and the boys copied her movements. They each moved into separate cubicles, taking a spare set of Slytherin robes with them.

Hermione gagged back her potion and, almost instantly, realized that something was wrong. She fell back and knocked over the rest of the potion that was in the cauldron, groaning in agony. When the pain stopped, she looked down at her hands and she nearly cried out. She was covered in fur. "C'mon, we need to go." Crabbe's voice called out, and the door of her stall buckled as Ron-Crabbe knocked on it. She panicked and pushed herself flush against the door, "I-I don't think I'll be c-coming with you a-after all..." She stuttered, hoping the boys would just leave. It took her a few minutes to convince them, but she sighed with relief as she heard them leave the bathroom at last.

She had no idea what to do now. She ran her hands over her face and sobbed as she realized it too was covered in fur; but the ultimate shame was when she felt something behind her move, and she realized that she had a tail.

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><p>When the boys returned an hour and a bit later, Hermione was full out crying inside her cubical, after having cleaned up what was left of the spilled potion. She had not changed back. Myrtle was hovering in front of her, giggling at the young Gryffindors misfortune. "Hermione! Come on out, we've got loads to tell you!" She squeaked in fear, and braced herself against the door again, "Go away!" "What's the matter? You must be back to normal by now, we are..." Ron's voice trailed off as Myrtle let out a cackle and glided out of her cubical, "Ooh, wait till you see, it's <em>awful<em>." The ghost squealed with delight, and Hermione knew the struggle was over. If she didn't reveal herself, she'd just be ratted out anyway. She unlocked the stall and stepped out.

She was covered in black fur, with cats ears, a tail, and her eyes had gone bright yellow. Harry and Ron immediately offered to take her to the infirmary, as Myrtle continued to taunt her, but she refused to allow them to move her without the invisibility cloak.

When they finally got her to the hospital wing it was nearing midnight, and Madam Pomfrey was more irritable than they had ever seen her. "What in the world happened?" She demanded, taking in Hermione's sad state with a scowl. "Er, we had an accident." Harry said quickly, unsure of just what kind of 'accident' they could claim it was. Thankfully, they hadn't been forced to explain the situation, and Madam Pomfrey kindly gave Hermione a bed with curtains. "Now you two off to bed. It's far to late for you to be out." The healer ushered the boys away, and once she was alone with Hermione, she sighed deeply. "Severus isn't going to like this."

Hermione threw herself at the healer before the woman could leave, "No! Please don't tell him!" She pleaded, earning another sigh from the healer. "I'm sorry dear, but he is going to find out, whether I tell him tonight or not. And I imagine he will be much less happy if he hears it from someone else tomorrow." Hermione was left moping on her bed as Madam Pomfrey left the infirmary.

Harry and Ron were gaping at the door to the hospital wing from underneath Harry's cloak. "What the _hell _is going on between Hermione and Snape?" Ron hissed in Harry's ear, as the healer disappeared down the hall. Harry could only shrug, "I have no idea Ron, but we should go. If she comes back with Snape, and we get caught, we'll be in a massive amount of trouble." The two boys crept away under the cover of Harry's cloak and left the mystery that revolved around Hermione to burn in the back of their minds.

Madam Pomfrey had the good grace to refuse Professor Snape's demands to see his daughter that evening, telling him that she was very distraught over the accident and desperately needed her rest. She returned to the infirmary and found the girl pretending to sleep, and felt a twinge of pity for the twelve year old. "Poor dear. If you'd been a squib, you could have lived a normal muggle's life and might have never known any of this pain." She said softly to herself as she slipped into her living quarters.

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><p>The following morning was anything but peaceful. Hermione was woken up at exactly seven am, to find her glowering father sitting by her bed. His arms and legs were crossed, and she backed away slightly, her ears twitching as she picked up the curses he was muttering under his breath. "Good morning." He said sharply, and she flinched. "G-good morning Professor." She stuttered back. He narrowed his eyes at her and uncrossed his legs so he could lean forward and tower over her, "I know exactly how you've ended up this way." He hissed, and she pushed herself further away from him. "Oh yeah?" She asked, wary of revealing any information. "<em>Moste Potente Potions<em>, Boomslang skin, powdered horn of Bicorn." He uncrossed his arms and gripped his knees with his hands so hard with knuckles turned white. "You know, Crabbe and Goyle woke up in a broom closet after dinner last night? And Malfoy insists they were with him after dinner." His eyes were still on her, but they slowly began to soften as he continued.

"I know you brewed the Polyjuice potion." His voice was softer now too, and her shoulders slumped as she faced the fact she'd been caught. "Yes." She whispered, playing with the edge of the blanket on her bed. Her father sighed and she heard him lean back in his chair. "I don't even want to know _what_ you were thinking." He said after a moment, and she ventured to look up at him. He had dark circles under his eyes, and he looked more tired than she had ever seen him. "I won't be stuck like this forever, will I?" She asked, not flinching as he met her gaze. "No. I can brew a potion to help it reverse. It'll take a few weeks, and the transformation should begin to reverse on its own."

She breathed a sigh of relief, "You will be serving your detentions after you recover, and you will not be leaving the hospital wing for any reason until you are fully recovered. Your homework will be brought here." She nodded, figuring she deserved as much for punishment. He stood from his seat and patted her awkwardly on the shoulder, "Get some more rest." He left quickly, and she realized she was incredibly lucky to not have been expelled for brewing the potion, and not being forced to answer more questions about it.

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><p>Severus Snape had never felt more exhausted in his life as he left the hospital wing. Shortly after Madam Pomfrey had showed up the night before, he'd stormed up to Dumbledore's office, raving mad, ready to rip the hair out of his skull. He'd shot off dozens of accusations against Potter and Weasley, but the old Headmaster had made him see reason. They were both well aware that Harry and Ron (if not Hermione as well,) had though Malfoy was the one whom had opened the Chamber of Secrets, and Dumbledore had known they would try and find away to pin the attacks on the Slytherin boy themselves.<p>

Severus had tried to insist that the boys had obviously forced his daughter to brew the dangerous potion, and forced her to drink it, but the fact remained that neither of the two boys was powerful enough to force Hermione to do anything. And if he pushed to have the other two expelled, his daughter would have to be expelled as well. He'd seethed the rest of the night after returning to his living quarters, and by morning he'd calmed down just enough to realize the Headmaster was right. For a moment he'd toyed with the idea of grounding Hermione, adding to her punishment, but after seeing her covered in fur, he hadn't been able to do it.

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><p>End chapter eight!<p>

I fell a little behind in things, but here is an update! Sorry it's a short chapter, but it's getting intense!


	9. Riddles Diary And Hermione's Discovery

A girl named Hermione Granger: Year Two

Chapter Nine: Riddle's diary and Hermione's discovery

Disclaimer: I wish.

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><p>By the time Hermione was finally allowed to leave the hospital wing, it was the beginning of February. She'd had very few visitors, and had been taunted mercilessly by Harry and Ron when they found the get well card from Lockhart under her pillow. The gangly red head had accused her of sleeping with it under her pillow, but she'd just been hiding it there for their visits. She thanked her lucky stars that they'd never spotted the two she had tucked under the mattress. One was from Draco, who had been told she'd caught dragon pox apparently, and the other was from her father telling her she was to tell any one who asked that she'd had dragon pox, which explained the card from Draco. She was thankful for the excuse to give for having missed a months worth of classes.<p>

When she finally was given the go ahead to eat breakfast in the great hall, she was met by several dozen people staring at her like she had risen from the dead. She heard over breakfast, from Neville, that most of the school had thought she'd been attacked. Of course, she'd thought Harry and Ron had been able to clear the rumour up before she'd gotten out, but it occurred to her that the Hufflepuff's and Ravenclaw's were likely to think 'the heir of Slytherin' was lying. She shrugged off their surprised looks and allowed herself to enjoy breakfast with her housemates.

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><p>She was intrigued when Harry showed her the blank diary he had found in Myrtle's washroom. "Ooh maybe it's got hidden powers." She said enthusiastically, flipping through the many blank pages, her eyes soaking up the name written in the upper corner of the front cover. <em>T. M. Riddle<em>. She and Harry quickly connected the date on the front cover with what the boys had learned from Malfoy. The diary was fifty years old, and from the same year that the Chamber of Secrets had been opened before. "I wish I knew why someone _did_ try to chuck it," Harry said absently as Ron protested its being a waste of time. "I wouldn't mind knowing how T. M. Riddle got an award for special services to the school, either." He added as Ron threw his hands in the air.

The gangly red head groaned, thinking of the award shield he'd polished for his detention with Filch earlier in the year. For the first time since then, he regretted trying to curse Malfoy, because his backfired curse had caused him to spew slugs onto the shield. "Could've been anything, maybe he got 30 O.W.L's or saved a teacher from the giant squid." He groaned on, turning away from the other two, "Maybe he murdered Myrtle, that would've done everyone a favour..." He trailed off as he felt Hermione's glare on the back of his head.

Harry took the moment of silence to remind his best friend that Malfoy had told them the Chamber of Secrets had been opened fifty years ago. The heir of Slytherin had been expelled fifty years ago. Riddle's award was fifty years old, and so was his diary.

Ron scoffed and reminded Harry that the diary was empty.

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><p>Days passed and the sun eventually began to shine on the Hogwarts grounds again. The mood inside of the castle improved as well, as news spread that the mandrakes were maturing and nearly ready to be re-potted again. Much to the relief of the muggleborns in the castle, there were no more attacks. Hermione was particularly happy, because she still had a week's worth of detentions to serve in the dungeons and she didn't want to constantly be looking around corners with her tarnished old mirror. She didn't let anyone know she had taken to carrying it around, and she only used it when she was alone. She couldn't explain why, but she didn't feel safe without it.<p>

She found mild amusement in Defense Against the Dark Arts, wherein Lockhart insisted he had scared off the heir of Slytherin himself. Any amusement she, or any other student for that matter, had found in Lockhart's antics had swiftly ended on the morning of February fourteenth, however.

The castle was decorated with so many vibrant pink ribbons, streamers and hearts, that most students felt rather ill. Hermione, despite her general dislike of the decorations, couldn't help but spend most of breakfast giggling like mad. She'd awoken first and come down to breakfast alone, and had almost abandoned the idea when Archie had flown up to her, clutching a pink and red card in his beak. She recognized the writing, finding it to be from Lockhart. His loopy, effeminate writing cheerfully blazed up at her saying how he had sorely missed his favourite student when she had been ill. And so, her mood rather enhanced by a cheering charm that seemed to radiate from the confetti falling from the roof, she spent all of breakfast giggling at Harry and Ron as they attempted to eat.

Although, she supposed, as she looked up at the staff table and saw her father's sour face, it wasn't _all_ bad. And then Lockhart had to open his big mouth. "Happy Valentines Day!" The exuberant blonde man shouted, "And may I thank the forty-six people who have so far sent me cards! Yes, I have taken the liberty of arranging this little surprise for you all! And it doesn't end here!" He clapped his hands smartly three times and a dozen surly looking dwarves marched into the hall. Suddenly she felt as sour as her father did about the situation. "My friendly, card-carrying cupids!" Lockhart beamed, as though he had just done the most selfless thing in the world, "They will be roving the school today, delivering your valentines! And the fun doesn't stop there, I'm sure my colleagues will want to enter into the spirit of the occasion! Why not ask Professor Snape to show you how to whip up a love potion!" Hermione couldn't help her snort of laughter here, and added just loud enough for her seat mates to hear, "_Because he'd poison us instead_." The boys snickered at her. "And while you're at it," Lockhart continued, undaunted by the death glare being pointed in his direction by Snape, "Professor Flitwick knows more about Entrancing Enchantments than any wizard I've ever met, the sly old dog!"

As the speech ended, Flitwick burying his face in his hands out of sheer embarrassment, Ron turned to the brunette and groaned, "Please, Hermione, tell me you weren't one of the forty-six..." She coughed awkwardly and began digging through her bag, unable to bring herself to respond. Of course she had sent a card in answer to the one she'd received, but she was afraid Ron might destroy her valentine if he heard that.

The day seemed to drag on, and Hermione felt her earlier giddiness slipping away as lessons were interrupted for the umpteenth time by dwarves delivering valentines. She received a very compromising card just before Charms, as she'd lost Harry and Ron in the halls. Thankfully the dwarf merely handed her the card and stalked off. When she'd read what was written on it, she'd gone completely red in the face. It was a composite card from, and she didn't really believe this, Crabbe and Goyle. Telling her, that if she'd been in Slytherin, they would have enjoyed sharing her with Malfoy. She stuffed the card as far down in her bag as possible and scurried off to Charms. She was joined shortly after the bell by Harry and Ron, who apparently had had a run in with Malfoy and a singing valentine from Ginny.

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><p>The next morning was vastly informative for Hermione as she sat in her usual seat across from the boys, gaping as Harry recounted his journey into the diary the night before. "Hagrid?" She asked, completely astounded. The large man did have a rather big soft spot for some dangerous creatures, she could admit this. But the very thought that he'd allow something to hurt, let alone kill, a student, was preposterous. Absolutely preposterous. "Riddle <em>might<em> have had the wrong person," She said, recovering quickly, "maybe it was some other monster that was attacking people." Ron, as per usual, shot down her idea with a dull and dreary tone, "How many monsters d'you think one castle can hold?" Harry and Ron seemed to resign themselves fully to the idea that Hagrid had unwittingly released some unspeakably evil creature on the school.

Hermione remained optimistic as the Easter holidays rolled around, and news spread about that Mandrakes were becoming more mature. And the time had come for the second years to pick out their subjects for the next year. "It could affect our whole future." She told Harry and Ron she she poured over the list of choices. She marked the most interesting ones with ticks, adding in a few comments when needed, when Harry and Ron discussed dropping Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts (respectively.) In the end, she'd signed up for every single class, hoping that there would be a way to work them all into her schedule.

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><p>The day of the next Quidditch match, Hermione was sitting across from Harry and Ron in the common room, discussing the theft of Riddle's diary, which had taken place the night before. She was silently listening to their debate when her mind pieced together something very important with a nearly audible click. She rocketed out of her chair, her face flush with realization, "I have to go to the library!" She shouted excitedly, grabbing her bag from the floor beside her. "But Hermione! Quidditch!" Ron protested as she ran out of the common room so fast, that they'd almost have sworn she'd been on Malfoy's Nimbus 2001, if they didn't know better.<p>

Hermione rushed through the book stacks and pulled an old leather bound book from a shelf near the back of the library, she flipped it open, to a previously memorized page, tore the page from the book, scribbled something in the corner messily, and scrambled back out into the hallway the moment the book was back on the shelf. She whipped her hand held mirror out of her pocket as she crossed paths with a Ravenclaw girl. "Wait!" She cried out as the girl went to turn the corner, she ran up beside the girl and held out her mirror. Suddenly, there was nothing.

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><p>End chapter nine!<p>

BUT the next chapter, which I'll post in a few hours, is the promised Draco/Severus POV chapter. And, I promise to more evenly distribute chapters in Year Three. Which is getting desperately long, and I'm not yet half through the year.

As well, (I've already been scolded for this) Lupin is a bit nosy and irritating in Year Three. BUT! I do have valid reasoning! These stories are from Hermione's POV in an omniscient way, and they have times when they are from Snape's. Severus always disliked Lupin, and visa versa, so it's only natural. But don't worry, Lupin is still cool.

Enjoy!


	10. Fear And Pain Change People

A girl named Hermione Granger: Year Two

Chapter Ten: Fear and pain change people

Disclaimer: I don't own it. **HOWEVER, look to the very bottom of the chapter, **  
><strong>for my authors note, if you are curious about why Hermione was still petrified. <strong>

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><p>Severus was in his office, grading recent homework papers when Dumbledore stepped in, looking more desperate than ever. "I'm afraid there was another attack." It was shortly past Easter now, and every attack was a grim reminder that the school was in danger, but Severus felt a peculiar dread well up inside of his chest as the Headmaster sat on the plain wooden chair before his desk and rested his head in his hands. "It was a double. I can't even fathom - she knew better..." The room began to close in as the potions master caught a tear sliding down the older mans cheek. "H-Hermione?" He gasped, willing the headmaster to say that no, it hadn't been his daughter. The old man did not move. Snape dropped his quill and buried his hands in his shoulder length black hair, breathing erratically as the news sunk in. "Is she -" He swallowed hard, trying to find the will to ask, "Just - just petrified, thankfully." Dumbledore seemed to know what he'd been trying to ask.<p>

Severus dropped his head onto his desk, and for the first time in twelve years, he cried. He did not sob, and he did not shake, as one would expect a terrified father to do, for he knew that such weakness would not help. He just allowed the bitter tears to run their course until they dried, and he took a deep raspy breath. "She is in the infirmary, her friends are there right now, but if you wish to visit, they will be gone by the time we get there." The potions master stood, bracing his arms on his desk, "I will go." He left in a swirl of long black robes, walking at a brisk pace. The blood was rushing in his ears, and he nearly didn't hear his godson calling out to him. "Uncle! What's going on?" Draco had been roaming the halls in search of his godfather since he heard the rumour of the attack.

Snape turned mid-stride and stared at his godson, not quite seeing him at first. After a moment he reached out and grabbed the boys arm, "Come." He rasped thickly, unable to bring himself to say the words. All the way to the hospital wing he thought of how the year had turned out. He had been cold and cruel to his only child, allowing her to be bullied by cruel children, in fear that their parent's would discover his secret. He had mocked her himself, in contempt of her friends, tried to have her expelled, grounded, and sent home to the muggles. He had been exactly as awful to her, as his own bastard father had been to him in his youth. When they arrived in the infirmary, he let go of his godsons arm, and Madam Pomfrey rushed him towards a hidden bed in the back of the ward.

Draco, whom had been terrified as he was dragged through the halls by his godfather, watched in horror as the curtain was drawn back. Hermione lay there, still as death, one arm extended, surrounded by a halo of bushy brown hair. The Slytherin boy inched forward as Severus Snape dropped to his knees beside the bed, a pained expression on his face. By the time he reached her bedside, he felt as though he'd run a mile, and been crushed by several bludgers. He reached out and touched her face delicately, "Is she?" His voice was higher than he'd like to admit, full of fear for the answer.

Severus had immediately grasped his daughter's outstretched hand in his own and rested his forehead against it, "Petrified. Just petrified. Thank Merlin." He whispered, unable to look up and see the pain that he would undoubtedly find on Draco's face. It had been selfish, he knew, to bring the boy along. But he just hadn't thought he could do it alone. He caught a flash of light from the corner of his eye, and he turned to see the tarnished mirror she had insisted upon removing from her vault. He felt his grip tighten over her cold hand, she had likely been attacked from behind, if she'd been holding the mirror, and her face was twisted with shock. He let his hands drop to the bed, and fisted the blanket in his grasp instead.

Draco's eyes had fell onto her face, and he was unable to look away. Her dark eyes were open wide, and her lips were slightly parted. He could see the bags under her wide eyes, evidence she had not been sleeping well; something he was at least partly to blame for. "She'll be revived." He murmured, dropping into the chair beside her bed, "When she's okay again, I'll make it up to her." He chanted the whispered words over and over, forgetting that he wasn't alone.

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><p>Severus found himself in the Headmaster's office shortly after midnight, with the portly little witch, whom was sobbing, named Charity Burbage. He felt no sympathy for her, as she wailed into one of Dumbledore's handkerchiefs, and he held his tongue as she accused him of hogging her grand daughter the whole summer. It disgusted him to see those who could flip their minds like coins, one minute vehemently stating one thing, the next vehemently denying it. He sneered in disgust as she ambled out of the Headmaster's tower, finally leaving him to speak on private matters.<p>

"Severus, you judge too harshly." The gentle voice of the Headmaster did nothing to change his mind. "But, alas, that is not why you are here. Tomorrow, we will be called upon by Lucius and Cornelius. Hagrid and myself will be removed from the castle, and the defense of the students will fall into the hands of the staff." Severus had often wondered, in his youth, if the silver haired man before him could see the future, for he always seemed to know everything before it was to happen. "The governor's will _never_-" "They are only human Severus. With families, and fears. Fear can change a man's mind in an instant." This was only too true.

"What can we do? We've searched the school, we've sent ghosts to every depth, we've found nothing!" He slammed his fists against the desk, and forced himself out of the chair in which he'd sat. Dumbledore looked up at him, just as despairingly as he'd done before, "We trust in Harry. We trust in him to find the answers." It was the same answer he'd given all year, and it made Severus want to tear the hair from his skull. "What has that boy got, that you think is above your own skill!" He demanded, turning fiercely from the table, aggravated by the mention of the boy-who-lived, aggravated by the thought of placing such trust in a young wizard of no extraordinary talent. "He has a knack for finding the bad, Severus. Finding it, and ending it. When the time comes, he will be the answer."

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><p>Draco Malfoy was haunted with dreams of Hermione's prone and frozen form. His fingers tingled with the icy touch of her skin, his heart ached from her sad empty stare. He shot out of his bed in the dungeons well before dawn, with jagged, shallow breaths, drenched in sweat. He paced frantically, switching between rubbing his eyes, to try and erase the image from the hospital wing, and running his fingers through his messy, sweaty hair. He knew Hermione was Snape's daughter. He <em>knew<em> Kathrine had been a pure-blooded witch. He knew that Hermione was not truly a muggleborn, not truly a _mudblood_. But his father had said that only those unworthy, those who did not deserve magic, would be attacked. So, if Hermione had been petrified, she must be unworthy.

He closed his eyes, and grimaced at the thought. She was a Slytherin, at least inside she was, her parents were Slytherin's, for Merlin's sake. Why would the heir attack her? Why would his damned godfather not just come clean! He put on this charade, pretending to be protecting the girl, but it was not working. She was being attacked in muggle parks, and within school walls, for lies about her parents! She should never be called mudblood, for it is a lie. His eyes snapped open as an owl tapped at his dormitory window. He let it in and deftly took the offered letter, his name scrawled across the front in his father's script. He tore it open, and drank in the words. "_Dumbledore will be gone this time tomorrow_..." "_The heir will finish their work, and disperse any mudblood scum_..." "_Soon the purebloods will be recognized their greatness_."

He shivered and collapsed on his bed, letting the letter fall to the floor. It would all be over soon, the purebloods would reign. The idea soothed him, though he couldn't imagine why, as his friend lay petrified but a few floors away. She would be revived soon, he remembered the Professor's saying so earlier in the week. The mandrake's would be old enough in a month or so, and...she would run. She would run, screaming, from the castle if she had any sense. She had told him of her life before Hogwarts, over the summer, and he wouldn't blame her for returning. If he could, he would go himself. To have a family, siblings, love. To have happiness. She would leave for that the moment she came to; she would probably not even stick around to bid her father or him farewell. His chest filled with an angry hurt as he convinced himself. He could not believe she would be so shallow, but he knew she would. She was a Slytherin at heart, and Slytherin's knew when it was time to run. And run she would.

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><p>Draco sat in potions, but a short two weeks later, his angry slate grey eyes, burning with hate every time they fell upon the empty desk in the room. He allowed himself to imagine she had already run off. He tried not to feel the pain he saw radiate from his godfather. He spoke loudly at every chance, to mock everything that Gryffindor's stood for. "I always though father might be the one to get rid of Dumbledore." He said this, because he knew Potter and Weasley looked up to the batty old Headmaster. "I told you he thinks Dumbledore's the worst Headmaster the school's ever seen." He said this, because Crabbe and Goyle would agree to anything. "Maybe we'll get a decent Headmaster now. Someone who'll want the Chamber of Secrets open." He said this, to convince himself his father was right. Only sappy old men like Dumbledore and rotten Gryffindor's would want to muddle up the blood lines more. "McGonagall won't last long, she's only filling in..." He said this to get a rise out of Potter and Weasley.<p>

He said a lot of things, boastfully, and bragging, some to convince himself, some to convince others. "Sir! Sir, why don't_ you _apply for the Headmaster's position?" He asked this, of Snape, to dispel the thoughts of the girl with the Professor's eyes, laying helpless on a bed. Snape offered a thin lipped smile, and Draco felt right. "Now, now, Malfoy," Snape replied, sweeping through the aisles in the potions room, "Professor Dumbledore has only been suspended by the Governors. I dare say he'll be back with us soon enough." Draco had to believe the humbleness was an act, because if it wasn't, then he was wrong. And a Malfoy was never wrong. "Yeah, right." Draco smirked at the potions master, ignoring the answering scowl, "I expect you'd have father's vote, sir, if you wanted to apply for the job. _I'll_ tell father you're the best teacher here sir." He had to believe what he said, because a Malfoy never lies to himself. And he was a Malfoy.

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><p>Hermione lay still in the infirmary, unblinking, not breathing, never moving, nor seeing, nor hearing.<p>

But she was visited every night. By her father, who couldn't feel more agony, to not see her stubborn glare. To not hear her bossy voice, with the answers to questions they never asked. He would sit beside her bed, and watch her silently. He would grasp her hands, when he felt too weak to leave. And when he grew weary, he would lay on an un-used bed, and rest dreamless. When students showed up, to sneak and see their friends, he would scare them away.

Hermione would never see this side of her father, she would never see him dote on her, she would never hear his apologies for being cruel. She'd never hear the stories of her mother, or the red haired, muggleborn witch he'd wished she was. Severus Snape didn't leave the infirmary unless it was time for class, but his daughter would never know this.

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><p>End chapter ten!<p>

Ok, I did receive a question I'd like to answer.

Firstly, I know it's tricky to remember because Severus Snapes father is only mentioned less than a handful of times, if more than once. Snape is only a half blood himself, so Hermione isn't exactly a pureblood. Kathrine was a pure-blood, Sape a half-blood, so that makes Hermione about thre-quarter-blood, which I think would still be considered half.

And, as for the basalisk, I believe that it attacks whomever it is told to. And as the snake is being controlled by Ginny (possessed by voldemort), and Ginny believes Hermione to be muggle-born, it is still conceivable that she would be petrified.


	11. Waking Up

A girl named Hermione Granger: Year Two

Chapter Eleven: Waking up

Disclaimer: Don't own.

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><p>Hermione blinked, feeling extremely groggy. Her muscles were completely stiff, and unwilling to move, and when she opened her eyes again, she saw her father watching her intently from a chair next to her bed. She, very slowly, lowered her raised arm, and placed her hand facing palm up on her forehead. Her brain slowly pulsed, remembering flashes of the events that she last remembered. Her right hand clenched, and she panicked when she realized the scrunched up page was gone. She sucked in a deep breath and turned to face her father, not seeing him for a moment as she remembered the terrifying yellow eyes that flashed across the surface of her mirror.<p>

She opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out. The harder she tried to say something, _anything_, the more her throat began to burn, until she rolled over coughing violently until she vomited on the floor beside her bed. In an instant the mattress sunk in beside her, and her fathers hand was rubbing soothing circles on her back, as his other hand held her hair back. She blinked a few more times before realizing that she had not vomited on the floor, but rather into a large basin. "Dad?" She gasped, coughing until she threw up again. "Shhh, 'mione, it's ok." Severus whispered calmly, helping her to sit up against the head board, "You were petrified." He informed her, his voice quivering slightly, as she stared blankly at him.

"How long?" She asked after a moment, her eyes falling closed as she realized how badly they hurt. "Exams would have been starting tomorrow." He said simply, regaining control of his own voice. He placed his hand against her forehead with fatherly gentleness and placed a kiss on top of her head, "Rest now, 'mione. I'll explain everything in the morning." He watched as she curled up around her pillow and dropped off into sleep. He longed to sleep himself, but instead he took perch on the chair beside her bed and watched over her as she slept, so happy to finally see her breathing and moving again.

When Hermione awoke, although she couldn't force her eyes open, she heard the voice of her father, telling someone off, although she couldn't quite figure out for what. She shifted with a groan before her eyes shot open and she lunged for the basin again. By the time her stomach was emptied and settled, she noticed that the voices had stopped, and turned her head to see her father holding Draco by the front of his robes. She clutched her head between her hands and sat up slightly, "Whazzgoin' on?" She mumbled incoherently, as her vision began to double. She sleepily watched two of her fathers toss two equally pissed off Draco Malfoy's out of the curtains surrounding her bed. "Shh, go back to sleep 'mione. You need more sleep." Once again she was out like a light.

Severus sighed as his daughter slumped into sleep again, and thought about what his godson had come into the infirmary ranting and raving about. Potter had, apparently, not only dragged Lockhart down _into _the Chamber of Secrets, he had also returned and was in Dumbledore's office right at that moment. He'd demanded the boy be silent at first, had been told off by the brat, and had grabbed him by his robes to get the point across, when Hermione had woken up, violently ill again. Unfortunately, the revival drought they had brewed contained a substance similar enough to horseradish to react poorly with her body. All the rest of the petrified victims had already been sent back to their common rooms, worse for wear, but conscious and able to eat.

Madam Pomfrey stopped by the bed in the back corner which housed Hermione, at nearly three in the morning, to find Snape asleep on his chair. She conjured a blanket and placed it over him, knowing she'd never convince him to move to a bed. She quickly vanished the mess in the basin before stepping out of the curtains and coming face to face with the Headmaster and two grimy, filthy students. "I'm afraid they can't visit her tonight." She said knowingly, giving Dumbledore a pointed look, tilting her head in the direction of the curtains. "Ah yes. That is most unfortunate." Harry and Ron, despite the gentle urging of the Headmaster refused to leave though. "Just a peek?" Ron asked hopefully, "We just want to see that she's not petrified anymore." Harry added, and the healer let out a great, heavy sigh.

"Alright. One peek, but I demand complete silence, do not wake either of them. Hermione's had a slight reaction to the drought, and I've recruited Severus to keep close by incase I should need him." She pulled the curtains aside, and allowed the boys to peek in, before letting the curtain fall back into place. "Now you two look like you could use some dreamless sleeping drought. Follow me." She ushered the boys away from the Headmaster and situated them in beds across the room.

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><p>Severus awoke to the sounds of retching, and found himself staring at his daughters empty bed, with her fragile form huddled over the basin on the floor. He rubbed his eyes and stood from his chair, "How long have you been awake?" He asked, kneeling down to push some strands of hair out of her face. "Maybe a couple minutes." She croaked, surfacing from the basin, completely pale. "I'm going to go fetch you something for your stomach. Don't leave." He added the last bit jokingly, and stepped out of the curtain enclosed space. He was surprised, momentarily, to see Potter and Weasley sitting on beds on the opposite side of the room, glaring suspiciously at him.<p>

He diligently ignored the second year boys and strolled into Madam Pomfrey's office, "She's awake. Is the drought ready?" He drawled, keeping himself calm and collected as the healer handed him a goblet full of shimmering pink liquid. "Just finished a few minutes ago. I was just about to bring it to you myself." She said with a wry smile, as the potions master quickly rushed back to his daughter's side.

He swept aside the curtain and found Hermione sitting up on her bed, waiting for him. He handed her the goblet, smiling as she gulped the contents back greedily. Her cheeks filled with colour as she drained the potion, and she sighed in relief. "So, what exactly happened since I wound up in here?" She asked, her dark eyes locking onto her fathers. "I believe you have visitors waiting to tell you just that. With more details, I presume, than I could offer." He moved to draw open the curtains, but paused, "I do not know how much they are aware of, but they seem to have come to some sort of conclusion which appears to be wrong." He said quietly, recalling the unsettling looks he'd received moments before.

Hermione sighed and nodded, "I'm sure they have. I'm surprised it took this long, actually. Ron was conscious just long enough to see the end of last year." She watched her father go, leaving the curtains open behind him, and she was jumped by the two exuberant boys. "Hermione!" Ron shouted, squeezing her a little too tight, and she found herself heaving over the basin again, "You're alright...?" Harry finished questionably as she finally sat upright again. "Of course I am. With m-er, Snape brewing the potions, there was no need to worry." She sat propped against the head board as the boys perched themselves on the edge of her bed. "So what exactly happened?"

"Well, after you were petrified, the school was set on lock down, and we snuck out to question Hagrid." Harry started, picking at his pajamas's, "We had to use my invisibility cloak of course, and we witnessed the Minister for Magic come to take Hagrid to Azkaban, and Lucius Malfoy showed up to chuck out Dumbledore." She gasped here, and worriedly asked if any one had died. "No, no deaths." Ron said brightly, although his face darkened as he told her that they'd, upon Hagrid's advice, followed the trail of spiders into the dark forest a few days ago. "We met Aragog, the _Acromantula_, and he told us that he had not bee the creature from the Chamber of Secrets."

"So Ron and I, after taking a couple days to relax for nearly being eaten by massive spiders, came back to visit and found the paper scrunched in your hand. We pieced together the information you discovered, and figured out the location of the Chamber of Secrets." Harry paused as Hermione fell off the side of her bed, lunging for the basin again. "Er, you sure you're okay 'mione?" He asked, only to be waved on by the pale girl. "Right. So, on our way to tell the Professor's what we'd discovered, we found out that Ginny had been taken into the Chamber to die, and Lockhart announced he'd go after her, with some prodding from the other teachers."

"Once the idiot was gone, we heard McGonagall saying that the school would likely be closed, and so we followed Lockhart to his office instead. We ended up having to drag the git with us to Myrtle's toilet at wand point." He paused when she wretched again. "That's it. I'm getting Madam Pomfrey!" He declared, barely making it to his feet before he was met by Hermione's glare. "Sit your arse down. Finish the story because you won't be allowed back for days at this rate, and I want to know!" Harry complied nervously.

"Right...so, after confirming our theories with Myrtle, I opened the chamber using my Parslemouth skills, and we jumped down into a winding cavern of pipes and tunnels, of course we sent Lockhart down first. The git eventually tried to erase our memories, but since he had stolen Ron's wand, it backfired and caused a cave in." "HEY!" "Shut up Ron, it's true. So I got separated and, at the end of the long tunnel, found another door which needed to be opened with Parslemouth." He paused.

"Inside the next chamber I came face to face with Tom Riddle, in his sixteen year old glory, and Ginny out cold on the floor. As it turned out, Tom had hidden his soul in the diary and was trying to come back to life by stealing Ginny's life. It didn't make sense at first." He conceded the fact that it barely made sense now, "And he revealed that he was the sixteen year old Voldemort. I fought the basilisk, with help from the sorting hat and Dumbledore's phoenix, Fawkes."

"I ended up pulling Godric Gryffindor's sword out of the sorting hat, at finally plunged up through the basilisk's skull, but it sunk a fang into me at the same time. I lay there dying for a moment, and then Fawkes was on my arm, crying over the wound. Voldemort was so furious I had snatched up his diary and drove the basilisk's fang into the heart of it before he even realized I'd move."

Hermione blinked into the basin as Harry continued on, telling her how they'd escaped the Chamber, but passed out before he managed to explain what had happened to Lockhart. Harry and Ron shot of the bed and booked it towards Madam Pomfrey's office, shouting for help. The distressed healer took one look at the girl and firmly instructed Harry to go and retrieve Professor Snape, no questions asked.

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><p>Severus had just sat behind his desk, a cup of warm tea in front of him, when his office door slammed open, revealing a distressed Harry Potter. "What is it?" He snapped out, raising the tea to his lips. "Hermione -" he paused to gasp for breath, "- passed out. Madam Pomfrey said to get you right away." He huffed the rest of his sentence quickly, and stared as the potions master dropped his cup of tea, and shot out of his chair. Snape was half way up the hall before Harry thought to follow.<p>

He arrived back at the hospital wing to have the doors slammed in his and Ron's faces.

Severus dashed over to his daughters bedside and used his wand to jolt her awake, "Hermione, you need more of the pink potion." He said soothingly as Madam Pomfrey rushed over with another goblet. As soon as the potion was gone, the brunette sighed happily. "That's better." She looked around for Harry and Ron, but was handed another goblet full of the potion. "But I feel better-" "Drink it." Her father commanded, and she complied wearily. "Where are my friends?" "Outside waiting. You can visit them tomorrow. For now you need more rest."

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><p>End chapter eleven.<p>

I decided to do a time jump, and have Harry and Ron explain things to Hermione later.

As for the drought making her sick...eh, that just kind of happened, dunno why I threw it in, but it adds to the father-daughterness!

Also, you'll be...surprised perhaps, to know summer will take three whole chapters in Year Three because I just had to add fluff moments, and I'm still only as far as the first Quidditch match. Seeing as there's a fair bit of Harry/Lupin bits I'll be doing a time skip after the game anyway.

Also, Dramione moment of pure innocent cuteness next chapter. I'm hoping to finish Year Three this week. I don't have to do anything til Saturday so that's approx 60 hours to eat, sleep, and type. And I'm on a roll.


	12. Better Ending For A Better Start

A girl named Hermione Granger: Year Two

Chapter Twelve: Better ending for a better start

Disclaimer: I don't own it.

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><p>When it came time for the year end feast, Hermione wasn't surprised to see that Gryffindor had won the house cup with nearly double the amount of points of any of the other houses. She was thankful to have been allowed out of the hospital wing to attend a few of the final classes of the summer term, although this was the first meal she had been allowed to eat in the great hall. Even though she had to sit at the end of the table closest to the teachers table, she was happy to be surrounded by the overly joyful students of Gryffindor again.<p>

She had been allowed precious few visitors during her recovery period, as her father insisted that the more stress she was under, the longer it would take for her body to straighten itself out. She hadn't even seen Draco, to her disappointment, and when she'd asked Harry and Ron why the Slytherin seemed so down, they finished telling her about how Harry had not only gotten Lucius fired from the board of governors, but freed Dobby from serving under the Malfoy family. She tried not to dwell on the fact that she fully understood her Slytherin friends distance from her.

After the feast Ron dragged her up to the trophy room, where he gloatingly showed off the awards he and Harry had received from Dumbledore for special services to the school. That night she snuck out of her dorm and went outside to sit by the lake, where she guiltily allowed her jealous anger over the boys recognition, to consume her. She had no idea how long she lay under the stars when she heard the unmistakable sound of approaching hooves. She let her eyes flicker to the beautiful red haired centaur, "Hello, Ronan." She greeted, turning her eyes to lock onto the crescent moon in the sky.

"Good evening, young one." The centaur greeted, laying himself down beside her. "The stars have told me of the wicked that threatened to consume the castle this year." His voice rumbled through her, and she sighed, closing her eyes. "Voldemort again." She said plainly, not bothered by the name, "Harry and Ron ran off to face him, after I figured out what was going on and gave them all the information I could find. They got special awards. I was petrified." She paused to enjoy the breeze on her face.

Ronan nodded knowingly, although he knew she could not see it, "Jealousy is a beast far worse than any other." He said, before getting back up to his feet. "Your father approaches, young one." Hermione sighed and rolled onto her stomach to gaze up in the direction of the school. She could indeed see her father, walking calmly down towards where she lay. "Good night Ronan." She bid the centaur good bye and got to her feet. Her father would be less upset if she at least met him half way, she figured.

Severus Snape might have never known of his daughters late night stroll, if he had not been approached by the bloody baron about a student out of bed. He'd thanked the ghost and headed for the entrance hall, getting there in time to recognize the student whom dared to wander the castle. He followed her out the front doors and watched as the centaur stepped out of the forest and lay beside her.

She reached her father, prepared for the lecture of a life time, but was pleasantly surprised when he led her away from the front of the castle. "I couldn't sleep." She offered up her excuse, but only received a shrug and a bored "I expect not," in return. When he stopped walking she noticed they were standing in front of the whomping willow. Its branches shook in the soft summers breeze, and her father sighed. "This summer will be much like last." He said after a while.

Hermione felt a sardonic smirk tug at her lips, "Without us being attacked in muggle parks at night though, right?" Her father chuckled humorlessly beside her. "I'll have a proper bedroom set up this time." His eyes never left the tree, "something more permanent. You weren't supposed to be staying the whole of last summer. Charity just pulled out at the last minute." The young brunette shrugged, "Whatever. I don't need a grandmother. I'd rather keep things the way they are." It was true, she didn't want anything to do with the woman. Things were far crazy enough in her family as is. "Julie has been decorating the new room."

Hermione nearly fell over as she whipped around to look at her father, "You let Julie in your house alone?" She saw his mouth twitch, as though he weren't sure if he wanted to frown or smile, as he responded. "Not exactly. I understand Narcissa is assisting her. And the house is protected against them going too crazy." He was thankful he'd always kept his study under the heaviest of locks, and charmed his bedroom door not to open for any one but himself.

"We should go back into the castle. You need rest." He ushered her back into the castle and to the dungeons. "I'll give you a sleeping drought," he offered as he opened his office and she walked in behind him. He summoned a chair for her and set about brewing the potion. He finished it quickly and turned back to face her with the goblet, but she was already asleep. He set the potion down and flicked his wand. She was covered in a thick comforter and the lights dimmed in his office. He left quietly, and made his way towards his private quarters, thinking long and hard about the upcoming summer.

* * *

><p>Hermione groaned and ducked under the warm blanket that was covering her. She tried to drift off to sleep again, but felt someone prodding her in the shoulder. She threw down the blanket and came face to face with Draco. "What d'you want?" She asked sleepily, rubbing her eyes to ease their soreness. "C'mon. Grades are on the tables." She blinked several times and looked around the room, taking in that she was not in her dormitory. Her eyes fell on the wall behind the neatly organized desk, which was covered with jars of potions ingredients. "Okay. I'll be out in five minutes, now go away." She didn't move from her chair until the door closed behind the Slytherin boy. Once she was sure of her privacy, she leapt from her chair.<p>

"I must have fallen asleep on my own." She mumbled to herself, slipping the blanket around her shoulders to fight off the chilly morning air. She ran her hands through her hair, desperately trying make it look as though she had not slept on a chair. She stepped out into the hall and found Draco looking very confused as he held two mugs of coffee he had not had before. "Uncle just gave us coffee. Have I lost my mind?" She giggled at his lost expression and claimed one of the cups for herself. "No. Lets just say Julie is _very_ persuasive."

She strode off down the hall, not waiting for the blonde, and hummed to herself as he raced to catch up without spilling his coffee. He caught up to her on the stairs and she jokingly told him he ought to be in better shape because of Quidditch. "Hey! I'm in great shape. I could run circles around you." He retorted, drinking his coffee as they continued on at leisurely pace. "You know, I wonder why there's no teachers waiting to give us detentions."

Hermione shrugged at her friend and quickly drained her mug of coffee as they reached the doors to the great hall. "I expect that it's because my dad patrols this area in the mornings." She didn't know this for sure, of course, but she suspect that this was the case. They split up upon entering the hall and searched for their grades the same way they had the year before. This time, instead of sitting at the Gryffindor table, they sat on the platform that raised the staff table above their own, side by side.

"One - two - three!" She counted, and they tore into the envelopes at the same time. She let out a low whistle as she took in her grades, they were fair, although it was surprising she hadn't failed anything. She'd had no chance to do the work from when she'd been petrified and she'd missed so many classes. "Still not too bad, oh look, a hundred percent in Defense Against the Dark Arts." She looked over to the blonde expectantly and saw him tear up his parchment. "Abysmal. Simply abysmal. Father's going to _kill_ me." He groaned, dropping his head into his hands. She patted him gently on the shoulder, and fought the urge to blush as he reached up and covered her hand with his own.

"Guess you'd better work harder next year, eh?" She tried not to laugh, but he noticed her efforts and was tickling her viciously before she could move out of his reach. They tumbled to the floor and she shrieked with laughter, trying to pry his hands away from her. "S-stop it! -" She gasped for breath, "-We're gonna get caught!" He finally stopped and let her catch her breath. Their eyes stayed locked together and his mouth suddenly felt very dry. Hermione licked her lips nervously and panicked as his face slowly began to get closer to hers.

"Draco-" She blinked and watched her Slytherin boy freeze. Suddenly he was scrambling off of her, his face as red as a tomato. He ran from the hall, stuttering something about needing to pack, and Hermione closed her eyes with a sigh. Had that really just happened? Had Draco actually just been in there with her? She sat up and looked around, blushing as her eyes fell on his torn report card. She stood quickly and gathered her own report card before hurrying off to Gryffindor tower. She needed to pack the last of her possessions too.

* * *

><p>Hermione stretched as she stepped out onto platform 9 34, grateful to finally be able to stretch her limbs. She had spent most of the train ride in a compartment with Harry and four out the five Weasleys currently attending Hogwarts. She heard the familiar voice of Molly Weasley shouting in greeting, and waved to the plump witch. "Here." She turned to face Harry, whom was tearing a piece of parchment in two, "This is called a telephone number." He directed towards Ron as he handed the red head a piece, and handed her a piece of the parchment as well. "I told your dad how to use a telephone last summer, he'll know. Call me at the Dursley's okay? I can't stand the thought of only Dudley to talk to for two months."

Hermione laughed as she waved good bye to her friends and slipped into the crowd with her trunk and owl, searching for Julie. When she found her elder sister, she greeted her with a hug and had the misfortune to spot Draco over her shoulder, being greeted coldly by his own parents. Her mind flashed back to that morning and she was bright red by the time she pulled back from her hug. Julie teased her the whole way home.

* * *

><p>End of Year Two!<p>

I know it's awefully short, but, Year Three will make up for that, and I'll begin posting Year Three early next week.

Keep an eye out in my future stories, I have some ideas on how to change things up, which may or may not involve Draco becoming a spy, Ron and Harry jumping to a very, very, _very_ wrong conclussion about Severus and Hermione after a glance at the marauders map, and maybe an actual date between Draco and Hermione. Maybe, you'll have to read to find out.

Also, I'm glad to see people enjoyed my 'Drabbles about a girl named Hermione Granger' one-shot collection. Althout the collection is woefully bare, that'll change. There's so many ideas I have that I want to throw in, but may not be able to fit into the main stories.

As well...things change a fair bit in Year Three. You'll notice, for instance, that Hermione and Severus' father-daughter relationship leaks more into their school life next year, and there's less angst on that front. And, just a slight hint, Julie may not be what she seems! *Insert Gasp here!* But, I haven't decided what to do with her yet, soooo...we'll see where that goes.

As for my faithful reviewers, thanks for the love!


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